Pilferer, Plunderer, Prowler
by fujioka44
Summary: A thief just made the biggest mistake of their life: stealing from the Ouran Highschool Host Club. {Kyoya x OC} {Mori x OC} {Tamaki x Haruhi}
1. The Heist

**A/N: Howdy. It's been a long time since I've posted anything on this site since I've been so busy, but I thought maybe a change of pace would be a good way to get back into the swing of things. This is story I've had in mind for a long time, and I just decided that I have nothing to lose if I post it here! I've gone back and forth and back forth with so many details, like characters, story, who's with who, but I feel pretty satisfied with how it is right now, so I figured some of you may like it. So, please, relax, and enjoy.**

* * *

It was an average day for the Host Club, being a not-so-average day in general, but a regular for the group of handsome and ridiculously unusual, if observed from a "commoner's" point of view, young men. The Lolita, otherwise addressed as Honey, was eating cake, with Morinozuka, properly dubbed, Mori. Hikaru and Kaoru, the "naughty" twins, were abashedly throwing themselves upon one another at a neighboring table, and Haruhi, who was labeled the "natural" type, was chatting with a fellow teenager in a friendly manner.

In the center of the room, with the center of attention, Tamaki Suoh sat across from a flush young woman who had nearly covered her entire face with her hands at the teen's flirtatious words. He had cupped her chin in his hand and spoke freely with a romantic gaze, as though that insignificant adolescent was the only person that mattered.

The main gentleman, though, that she needed to worry about, was standing stiffly out of anyone's way, the glint of his glasses blinding all those who dared to lay an eye upon the Shadow King. He wrote hurriedly in his secretive, black notebook, which seemed so open to view, yet so hidden from sight. Who knows what he was writing. It could've been a listing of items used by customers so that he could charge them extra for sneezing into a tissue, or a note of who was the most frequent in gazing lovingly upon Honey's euphoric expression as he ate, or Hikaru and Kaoru's countenances as they adoringly fawned over each other.

She was sitting within a mixed group of juniors and sophomores, squirming in her skin with her coffee eyes bouncing from wall to wall out of anxiety, or discomfort. While the ladies around her giggled and cooed at their senior, Honey, she looked ready to jump up from her seat and run away. She would've been gone already it seemed, if it had not been for the cup of tea discreetly wobbling in the grip of her right hand.

"Mitsuru-san, why don't you eat some cake with us?"

The brunette turned to the foolish girl who had addressed her and stifled a haughty chortle. Before speaking, she tucked her swept bangs behind her ear and pushed her chest out as if she were a puffed-up bird, showing off its plume.

"I'm afraid such juvenile acts are below me at this age."

Honey, leaping into action, put on his loveable smile, "You can never be too old for cake!"

"But," Mitsuru bit back, "you _can_ be mature enough to refrain from eating such unhealthy foods. Must you encourage such improper dental care? This entire establishment is a ridiculous excuse of a club."

"Excuse me. I see that you are having an issue with our Host Club?"

Kyoya had slid in at the sound of an angered young lady, and scouted out the stiff girl with a tight bun at the top of her head. Her back was as straight as a rod, and she looked prepared to leave Honey where he sat with the fat crocodile tears in his pitiful eyes.

"You are the vice president of this organization, correct?" Mitsuru questioned, setting down her cup, to the horror of the girls surrounding her, "I would suggest you improve upon this club made up of costumed plebeians before inviting someone of my status to drink tea."

The stunning blow to all of the hosts, specifically Tamaki who collapsed in horror, caused a hush throughout the club as Yamasaki Mitsuru stood, condescendingly patting down her yellow uniform dress as though disposing of unseen bacteria contracted by sitting upon the velvet lounge. She began to walk past Kyoya but stopped to scoff at him.

"If you are displeased with our fine establishment, you are free to file a complaint, but insulting our guests and hosts in such a disrespectful manner is entirely uncalled for. I'll have to ask that you refrain from returning unless you are willing to compensate for your rudeness."

"As if I'd want to come back _here_ ," Her light chestnut hair bounced in its tight bun as she turned back towards the group of wide-eyed, shocked girls who surrounded a teary eyed Honey, "Thank you for being as kind as to invite me someplace with you all, but I'm afraid I have errands that require my attention. Good day."

The door closed behind Mitsuru's dancing yellow dress with a sense of finality. The girls whom she had left behind kept quiet with a sense of shame and embarrassment; they were essentially the cause of Honey's tears as they had somehow dragged the stiff teen with bronze hair to the Host Club. One of the girls reached down and pet Honey's head with a sad smile.

"Don't mind Yamasaki-san, Honey-chan," she said sweetly, "She's just stressed out with the new workload and all."

 _A new student_ …?

"I better go after her," another girl said hurriedly, excusing herself politely before trotting to the door, her pigtails bouncing with each step.

Kyoya looked down at his notebook and scribbled down a side note to look into this Yamasaki Mitsuru. He had never before seen her wandering about and she looked to be around his age. But the strangest aspect was the fact that Kyoya had never heard of the Yamasaki family. The surname was a widely popular one, but none who held it had a particularly wealthy lifestyle.

He proposed in his mind that maybe Mitsuru had earned a scholarship similarly to Haruhi, but the snobbish teen had specifically mentioned her high status. While that didn't rule out the possibility of a scholarship, it raised suspicion of who Yamasaki Mitsuru truly was.

* * *

-:-

As soon as the door closed behind her, she strode as quickly as she could to the library downstairs. Anyone passing her could've seen that she was in a hurry, thus stepped out of her way. The classically stern expression on Yamasaki's face was a "Warning" sign for whoever stood in her path.

Close behind strode Hisako Ito, a well-known fan of the host club, with her copper-colored pigtails wiping around as she sped to catch up to the fuming Mitsuru with her dress in her fists.

"Hey, hey!" She called, an annoyed expression stretched across her face.

By the time Hisako was able to catch her friend, they were in a nook hidden away inside the library. Mitsuru was pacing up and down an isle of books.

"You should apologize to Honey-senpai!" Hisako released her skirt finally, smoothing out the unkind wrinkles in the cream cloth, "He didn't do anything to you."

"Maybe," was the vague response from Mitsuru.

"What's up with you? You've been like this since I mentioned the Host Club."

" _Like this_?" Yamasaki turned and her amber eyes sparkled beneath a layer of coffee brown, "I haven't the slightest idea what you mean."

"Ugh, forget I said anything. Are you going to sit with me at lunch or am I going to have to be all alone?" Hisako crossed her arms across her chest, her cheeks childishly puffed out.

In her mind, Mitsuru knew that it was a ridiculous notion to even consider Hisako one to sit alone during a period of popularity and glee. If the copper-haired minx wasn't worming her way to the host club and offering up a few homemade pastries, she was surrounded by the flock that was her own Gardening club, a group of dainty ladies and gentlemen who pretended they didn't have hired help to tend to their private gardens at home. Mitsuru plastered a fake smile on her face before replying.

"I'll be there. Just give me a moment."

"Okay, okay, I'm going," The Ito girl threw her hands up in a way to show she had surrendered and turned on her heel to leave the library.

When she knew she was alone, Yamasaki slid to the ground with a sly grin. Her hair had loosened, leaving some chestnut locks to frame her cunning expression.

"Besides that Ootori kid, there's little to no obstacles…" She thought aloud, "I'm practically already home free."

* * *

-:-

[ _Suggested soundtrack: Polka Capriccioso for Chamber Orchestra (OHSHC)_ ]

It was only two days later. Haruhi had barely walked into the clubroom when she was bombarded from all sides, Tamaki clutching her shoulders and the twins on either side, grabbing her hands in comical desperation.

"Haruhi!" The blonde prince exclaimed, dramatically shaking her back and forth, "It's a _disaster_!"

"Let go of me, senpai!" The brunette sighed, "What's the problem?"

The Hitachiin twins put their hands to their faces in an aghast motion before pointing to the center of the room, "See for yourself, Haruhi!"

The girl gave them questioning glances before striding to where Kyoya, Mori and Honey stood, all gathered around in a circle.

"Kyoya-senpai, what's going on?" Haruhi asked, approaching in a cautious manner.

Her walking slowed to a stop when she realized there was nothing to be seen. Honey was atop Mori's shoulders and Kyoya was scribbling away a little harder than usual in his notebook. She noted that the Shadow King was living up to the title today, with a deadly aura seeping out from behind his gleaming glasses.

The dark-haired Ootori son paused in his writing to respond, a horrifyingly calm look on his face, "Look around us, Haruhi."

Raising one brow, the commoner girl looked around with little interest. The room was empty except for a single regal sofa, pushed up against a window for some odd reason.

"What? There's nothing here."

"Exactly," Hikaru began, letting his brother finish with, "That's the problem."

"Why?"

Leaping into the conversation with drama, fat tears running down his face, Tamaki cried out, "All of our things have been stolen!"

"Stolen? Are you sure?" Haruhi questioned.

This was not the first time that the French blonde had believed everything to have gone missing. He prepared some kind of private investigation on the fly, only to realize in the end that they were remodeling the room for a theme and, sadly enough, Tamaki himself had been the one to plan the decoration.

Kyoya readjusted his glasses after peering down at his notebook, "It's true. All of our sweets, tea sets and decorative items are gone."

Haruhi blinked, dumbfounded for a split second before peering around the room with a more keen eye. The beautiful vases and charming curtains had been snatched and torn down, while the tables and chairs had evaporated into thin air. She made her way into the storage room, and peered up at the cupboard, only to be blown away by the lack of sweets. Every cake and treat was gone along with the plates that held them.

"Th-they even stole t-the strawberries!" Honey was traumatized, resting upon Mori's shoulders with a broken heart and a frustrated appetite.

"How did this happen?" Haruhi asked, looking to Kyoya as the twins and Tamaki sobbed amongst themselves, "I thought you locked the door every evening after the Host Club."

"I did. Look there."

The commoner followed the Ootori boy's gaze to the window that the single love seat was nearby. The glass wasn't shattered, but the lock on it was, smashed into two pieces, likely by a blunt object of some sort.

"Why didn't they take the sofa?" The single princess of the club questioned, observing the lounger from all angles.

"Perhaps, they left this single item as a sign! As a message, no, as a threat! To remind us that whoever this villainous person is, they _own_ us!" Tamaki suggested, receiving awed applause from the Hitachiin twins.

"No."

The single word from Mori's mouth sent Tamaki back into a shocked melancholy, and Honey resumed the explanation, "There's some rope wrapped around the legs. They probably used the sofa as an anchor when they climbed in."

Kyoya muttered, "Clever," before circling the solitary shred of evidence, as though the more angles he saw it from, the more information he could gather.

"What do we do? We have no chairs or tables for our guests," said Hikaru, pretending to console Tamaki, who wailed every once in a while, "Who could've done this!"

"Correct. I'm afraid we'll have to postpone club activity until we have caught the perpetrator."

"Should we call the police?" Haru inquired, "They can find whoever did this."

"Perhaps… But, seeing as I am one of the many sons of the Ootori family, with the family staff at my fingertips, I would prefer to catch this thief on my own, with _my own_ terms of punishment."

The black flames pouring from Kyoya's essence sent the rest of the club ducking for cover. The few times that the Shadow King revealed his deadliest aura were fatal moments for those around him.

"So, where should we start investigating, Mommy? It's our job as the owners and workers of this fine establishment to recover what is ours!" Tamaki exclaimed, given a sudden burst of excitement for the idea of justice, as distorted as it was in Kyoya's ominous, baleful eyes.

"First off," the dark lord began, "we need to gather data."

Pointing to Mori, he commanded, "Go to the caretaker rooms and investigate who was on staff last night. You and Honey are to question if they saw anyone."

The solitary senior "hmm"ed in compliance while Honey saluted childishly with a loud, "Sir, yes, sir!"

"Next, I want Hikaru and Kaoru to go down to the courtyard and search for tracks; anything to get us on this idiot's trail. Tamaki," Kyoya looked to the blonde vigilante, who looked more like an excited pup, wagging his tail in excitement as he awaited a command, "work on crowd control. Our guests will be here any minute, so if they happen to notice we're missing things; they may go into a panic and call the police."

"This sole duty of mine… I shall perform it with ease and precision!"

"What about me, Kyoya-senpai?" Haruhi asked, her mind tingling with something akin to adrenaline.

Kyoya readjusted his glasses before looking down to his notebook, "I'd like you to keep doing what you're doing."

"But I'm not doing anything…"

"Exactly. In your poor neighborhood, someone may result to stealing from a high-class school like Ouran, so just keep a look out for a suddenly wealthy acquaintance or something of the sort."

 _I'm not sure whether to be insulted or not_ … _Curse these rich people_.

"Wait," Haru blinked owlishly, "What are _you_ going to do, senpai?"

"I think," the reflection of hell shined brightly in Kyoya's glasses, causing the very soul of Haruhi to shiver, "I'm going to investigate some students that have been arousing suspicion lately… Possibly even pay them a _**visit**_."

 _Please don't kill them, senpai._

* * *

-:-

Haru rubbed her sore shoulders as she entered the supermarket. She dreaded carrying a basket full of groceries, but she'd rather be aching than hungry. The entire club was sent on a wild goose chase and discovered nothing of importance. Hikaru and Kaoru found some tracks, but they were just from the trash bin that the janitors rolled around. Surprisingly, the school had fancy custodians, too. Who knew?

An old man told Mori and Honey that he had been the last one at the school, leaving sharply at eight. Tamaki had barely succeeded at keeping the guests calm by elaborating some random tale that was likely in his mind the truth of events that occurred, leaving the girls who had stopped by dazed and confused as they were turned away.

Once they had met up again, Kyoya had returned from "investigating" with an even angrier aura, ordering the club to move the love seat away from the window for more thorough examination. They obeyed (hence Haruhi's soreness) and circled around the furniture for what felt like hours. The only evidence the Ootori teen could salvage was that there were likely two perpetrators, one to infiltrate the building and break the lock and another to climb up from outside later on.

"Wouldn't we have noticed someone coming in and breaking our window lock?" Haruhi had asked.

Kyoya responded, "This person could've done so before or after the room was opened up yesterday. We'll need to ask around the campus tomorrow. Come early so we can discuss our tactics."

Picking up an apple and examining it for bruises, Haru tried to speed up the pace. If she wanted to get to school early, she would need a good night's sleep. It was actually a little… exciting to have such a case for the Host Club. She wasn't feeding off of the energy like the parasite that was Tamaki, but it definitely was boosting her adrenaline. Certainly, though, she would not want such an event to happen again. Who knows how much money's been completely drained away by the thief.

"Um, ma'am?"

Kyoya unquestionably was getting some sort of pleasure out of this, whether it was healthy or not. Having something (or rather, someone) to release wrath upon was something he always enjoyed.

"Hey!"

Haruhi jolted, the apple falling to her foot and rolling haphazardly to a young lady in the midst of the isle. Whoever she was, she must've been trying to make the brunette move because she had a modest buggy filled with food and other random necessities.

"S-sorry!"

"It's fine."

Reaching down, the stranger grabbed the apple and reached out to hand it to Haru, allowing the shorter teen to get a good look at the girl's face. Her eyes were a typical brown, but sparkled with some kind of fiery ochre around the black pupil. Her hair was either very short or tucked away in her grey beanie.

After a while of Haruhi staring, she finally took the apple with a gratuitous "Thank you." For some reason, it took the young lady a moment to respond, as she returned a curious gaze before carting off with her goods, some fruity hair products catching Haruhi's eye.

"I wish I had that sort of money for good conditioner… Ah, wait, I forgot the groceries!"

-:-

"I can't believe it! They're closed up again; I wonder if something happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe there was an accident?"

"Oh, no way! Tamaki-senpai would never let anything happen to the beloved Host Club!"

The group of sophomores in the midst of the hallway was whining about the shut double doors, with an elegant sign proclaiming the state of the Host Club. Mitsuru stood slightly off to the side, out of sight, with her arms crossed and her eyes glazed over in thought. Her arms were filled with books that were her own, and Hisako's, who stood by the door with comically fat tears in her eyes. If anyone were to see Mitsuru now, they would be shocked at how calm and laid back she seemed at the moment.

"Yamasaki-san, may I have a word with you?"

Instantaneously, her back was stick-straight and she took on an expression of an annoyed and posh teen. Hikaru Hitachiin was heading her way with a worried visage, that which was rare on his carefree and goofy face.

"What is it? I have places to be," Mitsuru glared.

"This'll just take a sec. Kaoru left something at school yesterday and now we can't find it anywhere. I've been asking around and some people said that you stay after school sometimes?"

"That is a completely false observation," The Yamasaki girl deflected, "I leave strictly at four. Whoever you went to for information was quite a fabricator."

"I see, thanks anyways."

"Good-bye."

The brunette turned away from Hikaru and made her way down the steps. Hisako could get her books back in class. As she disappeared, the twin glared at where she once stood. Kyoya had assigned him to get some information out of her about what time she left, but she couldn't even be counted as a suspect anymore, considering she went home at four and all of her classmates testified to that. Hikaru sighed and walked away. Maybe the next suspect would fess up.

-:-

"So, we've ruled out nearly everyone except the custodians themselves?" Kyoya questioned.

The Host Club was gathered together in their empty room, settling to sit on or around the sole couch that was left behind.

"Kaoru and I personally tricked everyone on this list into telling us what time they left school. The only one of them that left a little late was one of the student council members, and that's because he works on upcoming events in homeroom."

Honey put his finger to his chin, "The custodians were all really nice to us when we visited. They even let us test out the trash bin wheels to see if they were really the tracks we found."

"Perhaps there is somewhere we haven't checked?" Tamaki suggested, "Or rather… there was no thief at all and the real culprit is a ghost of some sort…"

"What? There's no way that could've happened," Haruhi sighed.

"Maybe Nekozawa-senpai conjured up some beast to try and kick us out of this room so that the Black Magic Club can rule!" The twins explained with ghastly expressions, causing the blonde King to nearly collapse.

"I'm afraid that's untrue… You can ask Beelzenef."

The president of shadows himself gazed out at the hosts from his hiding place beyond the doors to his club. There was not a single light in the room besides a dying candle, meant for whatever other members were trapped in that club.

"I may, though, have some useful information regarding this… predicament you are in."

"That's right!" Haruhi realized, "Nekozawa-senpai is right next door. Maybe he heard the burglar break the lock!"

"A burglar? No, in fact, it was just a female student."

Hikaru and Kaoru peered at each other questioningly, "A girl?"

"Yes; if I recall, she was wearing a high school uniform."

Kyoya scribbled carefully in his notebook, "Tell me everything. I need even the smallest details on this student."

"Well, I had forgotten my forbidden summoning tools (Tamaki collapsed with a final cry of, 'I knew it!') at the school and those are direly important, thus I returned and found that there was a lady in the Music Room."

"Maybe they were lost?" Honey offered.

Nekozawa, using his hand puppet, gestured a shrug, "I would not know. She left before I could question her motives."

"What did she look like?" Tamaki had recovered and was in full investigation mode, even placing his chin in his hands as though seriously pondering.

"I… couldn't tell. I was hiding in the shadows of the room as she was opening the windows and allowing sunlight in."

"So," Hikaru frowned, "You crept on some innocent girl."

"N-no! That's a falsification!"

Kyoya clicked his pen and the room fell silent, "Thank you, Nekozawa. Now we know that a female high-schooler is an accomplice to the true criminal."

"So what now, Kyo-chan?" Honey asked, sitting atop of Mori's unwavering shoulders.

"Unfortunately, I've come to a halt in my own investigations, seeing as to how I have fewer leads, but now with this information, I will be able to narrow my search. You are all dismissed, if you please," the Demon King's glasses burned with the fire of an unsatisfied Ootori as he gritted out, "I will present with you tomorrow sufficient data for catching this fiend."

The group dispersed in a hurry, hoping to escape the Shadow King's fury, leaving Kyoya to begin the trek to his limo alone. As he traversed the stairs, he heard a pair of voices and stopped.

"Again, I'm so sorry."

"It's no problem, really. I was just wondering if I had misplaced it! Ha-ha, it happens a lot now that I'm getting old."

"Nonsense, you've got plenty of years ahead of you."

Was that…?

"Anyways, I'll see you tomorrow. And don't worry about watering the plants because I'll take care of it."

"You're too kind to an old man like me. Be careful on your way home!"

"I will."

Just as Kyoya had predicted, Yamasaki Mitsuru stepped out into his sights with an oddly thoughtful expression on her face. Unfortunately, the Ootori heir made a slight noise, causing the shorter teen to stiffen and turn to him with a frightened, yet also angry expression.

Mitsuru didn't spare him another moment before charging out the door with an unhappy scowl, leaving Kyoya to wonder…

What was she doing here after four?

* * *

-:-

Suspicion took over, and the next day at school, Kyoya was trying to connect the dots at another meeting with the Host Club.

"I know this idea may seem strange to you guys, but maybe," Haruhi sighed, "she just likes flowers?"

Hikaru and Kaoru tittered, "Oh, our sweet little Haruhi, you're the only person who would think that!"

"This school is filled with those with more than enough time and possessions. Why would someone want to waste time here with the flowers that are already being taken care of by our custodians and gardeners?" Tamaki explained.

Kyoya clicked his pen as if in realization, "I recall this girl, Yamasaki Mitsuru, speaking with a custodian. They spoke like they knew each other very well."

"So what?" Haruhi frowned, "That doesn't mean she stole from us."

"You're right," Kyoya smirked in a cruel manner, "But it does mean that we know she was an accomplice. If she's been friends with the gardeners and custodians, then she has an excuse to stay here after hours, thus she had the opportunity to break the lock."

"This is ridiculous; you guys are just going out on a limb! Didn't we already confirm that she leaves promptly at four?"

"Haru-chan's right!" Honey protested, "We don't have enough evidence!"

"Can we at least bring her in for questioning?" Hikaru and Kaoru asked, eager to apprehend someone, their sadistic natures revealing themselves.

"Haruhi and Honey-senpai are right," Kyoya repositioned his glasses with an impatient sigh, "unfortunately, I was so eager to catch this thief that I didn't stop and consider the evidence. We will, without a doubt, question Yamasaki-san, but I don't believe she's the true perpetrator. Since we're bound to catch whoever did this soon, I'll go ahead and order new silverware. Tamaki, you should pick out some new furniture."

"Takashi and I will fix the lock, Kyo-chan!"

Haruhi watched the group as they marched away, and sighed. It seemed so sad that even the great Ootori couldn't catch a simple crook. The way the past few days had been going, she had even started comparing the Shadow King to that crime chaser on television…

"Wait!" Haruhi stepped forth and the group that was marching away scurried back in at the sound of her command, "I think I know how to catch the thief!"

"What's wrong with just questioning Mitsuru?" Hikaru and Kaoru asked, curiously scratching their chins.

"The real criminal may catch on quick and use her as a scapegoat. I've been watching a crime show and they had this really good strategy for catching the bad guy; maybe we can use it?"

"So, what do you suggest, Haruhi?" Kyoya leaned forward a tad, showing his engrossment.

The brunette sat upon the floor of the Host Club's barren room, causing the rest of the club to follow, and began to explain.

* * *

-:-

"Mitsuru, did you hear?"

The chestnut-haired teen looked up from her book with a raised brow. Hisako stood before her with a huge grin, her chocolate eyes filled with stars. In her hand was a flyer with elegant print and the scent of roses wafting from each letter.

"The Host Club is reopening tomorrow!" The girl paused to spin in excitement before continuing, "Whatever happened isn't going to stop them from doing what they love! Isn't it great?"

For once, Mitsuru seemed a tad bit on the same level as Hisako, hiding a grin from her friend behind her book.

"Yes," She mumbled, "That is quite… excellent."

* * *

-:-

It was 11:04p.m. There was no stopping her now. Peering around the corner, the girl followed the path she had previously taken to the high window on the building across from her. She shuffled through the grass with ease before running her hands along the structure of the outside wall. It felt jagged and rough, but not enough bumps for her to climb it. The rope she had used before had been cut the moment she had finished the robbery. Now, she would have to rely on her own strength.

Backing up, the teen took a deep breath before charging at the wall and, using the momentum she gathered, she was able to run up a portion of the brick, allowing her to grasp the first window sill, her own knuckles nearly white with the strain of holding all of her weight. With a low grunt, the girl pulled herself up until her sneakered foot caught a jutted out ledge for her to rest her arms for a moment.

She would need to somehow catapult herself to the next window, but luckily, she had done this before and knew just what to do.

"Up we go," she mumbled to herself.

Putting all of her strength into her feet, the teen leapt up and grabbed the sill of the second story pane. The process continued smoothly until she had reached the third music room's window. Her sneaker had slipped at the last second and she released a noise of surprise as her arms were abruptly taught with effort and her toes sought the ledge she had once been using. When she was certain she could take a breath, the girl inspected the window.

Just as she had predicted, the hosts hadn't changed out the locks. The room was void of any afterschool stragglers (looking for a little more fun than the Host Club could offer), and so, she released her grip on the window sill and hastily gripped its edges, forcing her nails into the creases and yanking the glass up, until there was a considerate opening. Her sneakers slipped and she shuffled to grab hold of the sill, straining to pull herself up and inside.

When her torso was halfway inside the room, the teen whispered to herself, "Okay, go."

She then placed her hands on the solid tile that covered the music room, balancing her weight there as she pulled in her legs, letting out a measly puff of breath as she performed a slow flip, her legs going in and over one by one.

Infiltration successful. Again.

"Wow… Rich people are so stupid."

The music room was decked out with even more exquisite furnishing, ranging from the purest of white loungers to the reddest of roses freshly pruned just to be replaced by newer ones in the morn. The girl, despite feeling quite alone, kept her guard up, silently making her way to the storage room only to smother a snicker as she saw the shelves full of treats and silverware once again.

Those hosts were complete idiots! With one heist, she had obtained enough to sustain living modestly for a while, and she hadn't expected to go on another for a couple of months, but this club of foolish gentlemen was just asking for it. If she succeeded, which she _always_ did, she would be able to completely wipe the slate with-

An inconsiderable shifting noise caused the girl to perform a 360, glaring at the blank space she presumed the sound had occurred from. Anyone else would've assumed that it was nothing and would continue on their day, but she was much more cautious and cunning. With stealth and agility like a leopard, she made her way to the main area of the music room without a sound. She stood stiffly there for a moment, as if waiting for the sound to occur again, and after at least a minute passed without another interruption, she went back to the pantry.

With one hand, she held open her trusty knapsack, and with the other, she began pillaging the shelves, taking first the silverware. After that, she went for the dishes, carefully stacking them alongside the teacups. The cake platters would have to wait until last, because her guilty pleasure was not selling the cakes, but eating as much as she could before wrapping them up on her final trip and taking them home to save for later. She still had some remains from the last trip, but had run out of her favorite flavor.

The furniture was definitely the hardest part and it took the longest to carry out. She was a strong girl, but sometimes things were too heavy for her, like that stupid love seat she had left behind last time. The dumb thing wouldn't go where she wanted it to so she just used it like a lift for her rope. On any other occasion, she would tie the rope hours or even days beforehand, but this was a special case.

All the new seats and tables were even heavier than before because they were probably made of even more valuable material which was completely fine with the teen. She would just carry it all downstairs and use the trash cans she was borrowing from Sazuki-san to roll it home. Honestly, if she took all of the furniture like she did last time, she wouldn't have any storage space. The dumpster behind her apartment building was rarely used since pretty much no one lived in the crap hole, so she stored all of her large findings there. The girl guessed she would have to break her "3 day" rule and go ahead and try to sell what she had to make more room.

The girl rolled her head as she prepared for a long night of dragging tables and chairs, reaching for the coffee table she had decided to start with. It was at the precise moment that she touched the lovely wooden surface that a lamp flipped on. Against her instinct, the girl froze in fear, not a single thought running through her head. Her mouth was completely agape, like a fish, and her eyes were wide as saucers.

"You must be pretty dumb to fall for a trap like this, huh?" said two voices simultaneously.

Her body felt numb, but her brain slowly started back up to life. _You need to leave right now_ , it said. So, she did. Or at least, she tried to.

Without even checking to see who was mocking her from the entryway, the teen snatched her knapsack and leapt over the furniture to make it to the window. It was still a dimly lit room, but she maneuvered well, not even stumbling once as she scurried to it and reached for the sill to leap out of it, forget the injuries that may occur. But, she met an obstacle. A person, actually.

"A-uh," was the dumbfounded noise that escaped her lips as she looked up to see a towering figure covering her exit.

Then, the lights flipped on fully, nearly blinding the girl, and had it not been for her initial instinct to duck, Takashi Morinozuka would've caught her. He seemed surprised that the girl was able to predict his move, but she didn't let him stay still for a second, elbowing him mercilessly in the gut and growling helplessly when he stood firm. It was a last resort, but she needed to escape and what else could she use but the door at this point?

The teen ran to it, jumping over a stupid love seat, building up momentum to slam her body against the door, but stopped when she saw Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin standing in her way. _You need to get past them_ , said her brain. _You're doomed_ , cried her stomach. Without a second thought, the girl shoved her knee into one of the boys' abdomen, giving herself time to kick the other one to the ground.

"Don't you hurt Hika-chan and Kao-chan!"

Before the 3rd year student could land his kick, the thief was out the double doors, her sneakers making unpleasant noises on the expensive tile of Ouran Academy. Stealth was out the window (Ha-ha.) now that she had been caught; all that mattered now was escaping with what little she had gotten out of this ridiculous failure of a robbery. Her last concern was how she was going to face these foolish hosts tomorrow because they hadn't seemed to know her. Regardless, the first step to anything was getting out.

She felt like her breath was the loudest thing in the entire building as she struggled to recall the exit route she should take. As she rounded a corner, she remembered that she had also broken the locks on all the windows of the Newspaper Club's room because no one really cared about them, so her sneakers made an unfortunately loud skidding noise as she changed her direction to head towards that room.

And even more unfortunately for her, she had completely missed the sly tripwire that sent her sprawling across the floor. Luckily, she only bruised her arm, but unluckily for her, she was now staring at the feet of the hosts that had previously caught her in the music room.

 _Find another way out_ , said her brain.

At this point, violence was her friend, but she also needed to woo speed, so she shoved the nearest boy out of her way and ran towards the railing. This was going to hurt her, but it was definitely worth it if she could just get out of this idiotic playground for rich kids. She didn't spare her pursuers another glance before throwing herself over the railing.

She landed close to the wide doors that served as an entryway to the Academy, but she also landed awkwardly on a stair from a higher distance than she would've liked, so she cringed as she attempted to stand and stumbled down the rest of the stairs. She fell to her hands and knees on the ground floor of this accursed, entirely too big academy and released a pained whimper at the feel of her now swollen and twisted ankle.

The lights were off in the rest of the school, but she didn't need a candle to see that there was someone walking towards her. The remaining Host Club members were likely standing guard at different entryways to the academy, and she had just happened to fall right into his trap.

Whoever it was, there were obviously pitying her because they knelt down and she found herself looking into round, brown eyes.

"You-!" They gasped in surprise, obviously not expecting it to be her, the one who blended in perfectly like a chameleon.

She used their shock to her advantage and using both of her hands; she shoved him out of her way, causing him to fall backwards onto the ground. She took this perfect chance to half-limp, half-run to the doors and fling them open, glancing back only once to see the honey eyes of Haruhi Fujioka watching her with confused eyes as she didn't even bother slamming the door behind her but simply ran as fast as she could, her sneakers barely making a noise on the concrete.

"Haruhi!"

The high school girl owlishly blinked up at Tamaki, who knelt down to examine her for injuries.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" He asked worriedly.

Dumbfounded, Haruhi simply shook her head. The rest of the club came quickly due to Haruhi's play walkie-talkies she had brought out from the attic for the occasion, and the twins were prepared to run out the door after the thief.

"I'll get that creep and return that kick tenfold!" Hikaru hissed.

"Yeah, yeah!" Kaoru agreed angrily, "That jerk couldn't have gotten too far!"

"How dare he harm my precious daughter!"

"Don't bother," said Kyoya, "She's long gone by now."

His voice was tense, as he was obviously straining to contain his anger and wrath for the unknown villain who had robbed him of his financial investment.

"She? I thought it was a guy with a girl accomplice," questioned the twins, both shrugging their shoulders in sync.

"Nuh-uh. It was a girl," Honey said from atop of Mori's shoulders, "She was pretty tough, though. She hit Takashi _really_ hard."

Mori made a noise of agreement, causing the Host Club to fall silent.

"Did you get a good look at her face, Haruhi?" Kyoya asked.

"Yeah," said the brunette, finally standing up, "I did."

"So, who was it?" The Hitachiin twins voiced.

Honey hid his sober expression in Mori's hair as he mumbled, "It was Yamasaki-san."

* * *

 **A/N: Reviews are always appreciated and constructive criticism is always considered and taken. The second chapter should be up very soon, and possibly a third, if I'm counting pages correctly. This series may take a while, but I've learned not to stress about things like deadlines, since I'm literally the one who decides when to publish these things. But, please don't think that means I will not write considerable faster if this fic ends up being liked by some of you. If you ask for chapters, you shall receive. Maybe not on time, but at some point. Anyways, I think I've rambled on long enough.**


	2. Decisions

**A/N: This is actually the shortest chapter I've ever posted on this site. But don't worry, there's more coming very soon. I just really wanted this chapter to end where it does. Relax and enjoy.**

* * *

"Wait, Mitsuru Yamasaki?" Hikaru frowned, " _She's_ our culprit?"

Haruhi nodded, "I could make her out, even with all her hair tucked away. I think… I saw her at the grocery store, too."

"You were right, senpai," she said, turning to Kyoya, "It seems like she was buying basic necessities… I think she recognized me too, but didn't realize who I was exactly."

"So, our aristocrat isn't who she says she is… No wonder I wasn't familiar with her name," the Shadow King murmured.

Hikaru crossed his arms, leaning up against his brother, and inquired, "Well, what do we do now? She isn't dumb enough to show up to school tomorrow. If she's as smart as she's leading us to believe, she might even be trying to figure out another escape plan."

"We could always try and trace her to her house, but… if she's faking her status, she could be faking the address in the directory, too," Haruhi sighed, and turned to the uncharacteristically silent Tamaki, "Senpai? What should we do?"

"I'll ask my father for the home address that her tuition payments come from," he replied in soft voice, "but before you do anything, Kyoya, let me speak with her."

The King of Shadows sent his closest friend a questioning glare, but complied, "Alright. Just know this, Tamaki; she's not escaping any punishment."

"Of course not… Anyways, everyone, we'll track her down soon, but… for now…. Go home and get some rest."

* * *

-:-

When she realized that the hosts had not followed her out of the Academy, Mitsuru stopped at a gas station and brought a cheap, unhealthy energy drink to the large man manning the cash register. As she shuffled around in her knapsack for her wallet, she noted that she still had a few rattling dishes, knifes, spoons and such. At least she got _something_ out of the heist.

"Thanks," she mumbled to the cashier before snatching her bitter drink.

The teen tore off her beanie as she limped down the darkened street to her apartment, letting her matted, sweaty chestnut hair collapse from its peak. The chill of night froze her perspiration, causing her to rub her bruised arms.

Her apartment complex wasn't the sketchiest place to exist, but it had its fair share of questionable activities take place there along with a handful of odd graffiti signs. It housed a thief, a stripper, and a strange old woman who was too kind for her own good.

Mitsuru was the thief, living on the bottom floor only because it had a window she could escape through if need be. She was especially grateful for it tonight because she was going to need to make a hasty escape in a few hours.

It was nearly two in the morning when she tumbled into her room. She felt heavy with sleep, but she couldn't rest at that very moment. Mitsuru went to her refrigerator and exchanged her energy drink (for tomorrow, she told herself) for some ice that she scooped into a bag and tied around her swollen ankle. Then, she scooted into the closet-sized room that served as her bedroom and collapsed onto her futon.

"Tonight was a disaster!" She yelled, her voice muffled by her pillow.

She needed to pack up her things and run, but she wouldn't get very far with her ankle in the condition that it was in. Two days was too long to wait, but she could get away with leaving tomorrow while the Hosts were in class. That way, by the time they finally got around to investigating, she would be home free.

The only problem was all her loot… It would be a pity and a shame to abandon all of her things in the back dumpster.

"I could always give it to Aya-san."

The little old lady who lived a few doors down would probably just keep the loot in the dumpster for the next loser who took over Mitsuru's room, but the teen couldn't just leave it like that! It was worth money, and everyone knew that money was what she needed most.

She'd have to find a way to sell it all tomorrow before she left. There was so much to do and so little time! She guessed that's just how the life of a criminal works… but first things first…

Mitsuru fell asleep, right after setting her alarm for the modest time of six in the morning (only four hours of sleep! Ugh! At least she bought the energy drink in advance, right?), but the drowsy girl had no idea why or how her life was going to change tomorrow, for better or worse.

* * *

-:-

The first thing to throw her off was the knock. It was loud and repeated, meaning that Teruko, the stripper on the third floor, wanted to borrow something. Mitsuru sat up, wiped the drool off of her chin and stumbled out of her room, kicking her blanket off, as it had wrapped itself snuggly around her ankles. She wasn't especially concerned because her clock was flashing a bright red calculation of '5:56.'

"Eh?" was the greeting she sent Teruko, who was looking especially blonde this morning.

The second thing to throw her off was the fact that the street lamps were on outside. Street _lamp_ , actually. There was only one in an inconvenient place right in one of the parking spaces, just dead in the center of it. Fortunately, Mitsuru only owned a bike that she used on the weekends to visit family.

"Yama-chan," Teruko whined, twirling her platinum strands, "Why didn't you tell me you had rich friends, yeah?"

It didn't take anything else. Mitsuru grabbed the lady's shoulders and shook her.

"What time is it?" She asked, in the lowest tone she could manage.

The working woman fluffed her hair, ignorant of the girl's urgency, "It's like… six thirty-ish, I guess? I got off early and saw, like, four limousines heading here and when I asked Aya-chan she was like, 'What, I don't know them!' and then I came up here- Hey, wait, what's wrong, hun?"

Teruko didn't even looked offended, simply worried, when Mitsuru slammed the door and locked it, running her hands through her messy and tangled hair erratically. They were on the way here, right now. She needed to pack up. Quickly.

Ignoring all else, the Yamasaki girl yanked a few weird gas station snacks (they would be good on the go rather than all of the vegetables she bought a few days ago) out of her fridge and also the energy drink from last night. She took a few seconds to down the beverage, hoping it would be enough to get her going faster.

The desperate girl then went to her bedroom and emptied her knapsack. A handful of dishes fell out, shattering instantaneously, one shard slicing into her foot that was actually usable. She ignored the bleeding cut and grabbed some clothes thrown over her bed and realized that the ice pack had broken open and spilt all over her alarm clock, causing it to freeze at the time of the incident.

Mitsuru kicked it angrily, only to curse herself for harming her foot further. Honestly, her luck used to be so much better than this. Ugh, she was running out of time! The teen stuffed some other useless things into her bag, tying it shut after placing gently a picture of someone on the top, wrapping it carefully in a T-shirt she would just have to bring along.

"Excuse me, madam."

Her coffee eyes widened in fear. That was Tamaki Suoh! They were here!

"O-oh, hi, sugar! Aren't you the cutest thing? You must be looking for Yama-chan. She's in there; just woke up, silly! Hey," Teruko knocked again on the door, "Your friends are here, hun!"

There was no response, though, because Mitsuru was putting all of her strength into yanking the wide window open, throwing herself out of it with an obvious sense of exigency. She landed on the prickly grass of the "backyard" as Aya-san called it, scrambling to her feet. The Yamasaki girl was going to have to find her way to her uncle's place without being traced, but the Ootori police force wasn't one to be meddled with… They would figure out she had family nearby.

So, she would just have to disappear. Mitsuru had enough money to do that for a decent amount of time. She would have to pull out her secret talent of negotiating, which was actually just her begging someone to erase her from the map. Maybe she could make her way back here and ask for Teruko's help? Surely, _she_ knew some people.

At the moment, though, she was a fugitive, and she needed to climb over that fence that was placed for the convenience of making the poorer people feel like animals. Mitsuru had barely gotten her torso over when she felt someone grab her by the waist.

"Ag-ugh!"

She kicked and fussed, but to Mori's surprise, she didn't scream. Mitsuru was trapped and she knew it, but she tried everything to escape, eventually squirming out of Takashi's grip and falling on her cut foot. She buckled and tried to balance herself on her other foot, only to remember it, too, was screwed. The girl who had once held her chin high fell to the ground at the feet of Tamaki Suoh, who knelt down in a similar fashion to the idiotic kid, Haruhi, just last night.

The Yamasaki girl was surrounded by the hosts with no way of escaping. She didn't quit trying to scramble away from those sympathetic blue eyes, though.

"Mitsuru-san, why?" He asked.

Mitsuru crossed her arms and put a finger to her chin, in mock-thought, "That's an awfully broad question. Why do I steal? Why did I steal from you? I would think all of their answers would be quite obvious, no?"

Since she was backed into a corner (literally, at this point, with all these cursed hosts just standing around her like vultures), she felt no need to try and beg her way out. Why not attempt to enjoy her last moments of freedom? Tamaki said nothing in response, simply gazed into her eyes with a stern, concerned look. It was unnerving, so she kept talking.

"I steal because I need. I need money, I need food, etcetera, etcetera. I stole from you," Mitsuru said 'you' accusingly, "because, well, who else? You are the only group in the entire Academy to put all of your wealth on display for everyone to see… Why not take a few things?"

"So, why did you try to take more?" Haruhi asked.

His voice was so girly, ugh. Mitsuru felt attacked by his gentle tone.

She turned her head to look up at those honey eyes and smirked sadly, "Because I've never been caught before."

"So, you've done this in the past?"

The Yamasaki teen snickered, "Duh. I couldn't just be an amateur and rob someone from the Ouran High School Host Club."

The way she said the last part was in a condescending accent, causing the aura that was Kyoya's wrath to spill over. The thief shivered and backed into Mori's knees, staring at the approaching figure with something akin to fear.

"You've made a terrible mistake, Yamasaki-san," The Shadow King gritted out, "stealing from an investment of mine."

"So?" Mitsuru bluffed, "Arrest me, then. I'm a criminal and that's what I deserve so lock me up for life!"

"I'm afraid I won't be giving you the pleasure of escaping more… severe punishment."

Something like black tendrils of hatred and wrath were overflowing from his presence and Mitsuru had nothing to say, for the first time in a long, long time. She was genuinely scared of whatever this monster who disguised himself as an Ootori, her voice wavered.

[ _Soundtrack Suggestion: Alla Marcia for orchestra (OHSHC)_ ]

"I-!" She faltered, "I'm sorry!"

Now, that was unexpected.

"I'm sorry for stealing from you, truly! Please, don't send me to prison! I mean, I'll, uh, pay you back, I swear!"

"Will you, now?" Kyoya taunted, his glasses gleaming.

"Y-yes! I'll double the amount of what I stole! I promise!"

"Kyoya-senpai," Haruhi sighed, a bit annoyed, "Honestly… you rich people and debts."

Mitsuru bowed her head, "So, please! Don't arrest me!"

"We won't send you to prison, Yamasaki-san," Tamaki said, his regal mercy bringing comical tears to Mitsuru's eyes, "But you must promise us two things."

"A-anything!"

"First, you must allow the Host Club to get you a _legal_ job. No more stealing. Haruhi will help you since he knows the commoners' trades."

The brunette princess of the Host Club seemed to duck her head. Why was she being brought into this? Then again, it would be smart to help Mitsuru get back onto her feet in a less law-breaking way.

"Secondly, you must swear you will work for the Host Club as an assistant to whoever we deem fit!"

"O-okay, I will! W-… Wait, what?!"

She was echoed by every Host, including Kyoya, who looked like the flames of Hell could burst out from behind his glasses at any moment.

"Mitsuru Yamasaki, from this point forward, you are now a part of the Host Club!"

* * *

 **Thanks to all of you who followed this story: (Keiko Taniyama, bored411, naes151, and Midnight Rosedrop)**

 **Those who made this story a favorite of theirs: (** **bored411)**

 **And last, but not least, those who reviewed.**

 **(bored411) : I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far - I hope that you continue to like it. Thanks for reviewing! :)**

 **(naes151) : Thank you. There will be two pairings, with two different original characters, and since it is cannon, I will be mentioning (Haruhi x Tamaki). Thank you for reviewing, and I hope you continue to enjoy my story!**

 **I hope you all enjoyed it; leave some reviews if you'd like to tell me anything, or point out something that could use improving. I'm always open to constructive criticism.**


	3. But She Just Couldn't Accept It

**A bit lack luster, but here's the third chapter. I hope you all have fun reading this; This is my Christmas gift to you all.**

* * *

-:-

Mitsuru woke up fifteen minutes late, due to her incapacitated alarm clock. There were shards of plates all around the floor, scattered about her bed. When she had finally gone to bed last night, she had attempted to gather the pieces together to dispose of, but hadn't done the best job, considering she awoke in the middle of the night on multiple occasions due to being sliced by the leftovers.

The chestnut-haired teen stumbled into her bathroom (the sad, pitiful thing that it was), noting her cream uniform dress hanging on the shower rod, draped over a default rubber duck shower curtain. Lethargically, she grabbed her sordid hair brush, and dragged it roughly through her hair. Why even bother rushing if she was already late? After missing an entire day of school work, she wasn't exactly looking forward to catching up.

When she looked into the mirror to brush her teeth, Mitsuru glared into her heavy brown eyes. So, this is what she was now. A slave to the Ouran High School Host Club. Last night's odd intervention had her in a desperate situation, and she wondered if she had upgraded in any way by becoming an "assistant" to a group of young men. _God_ , Mitsuru spat into the sink with fervor, _is this what Teruko feels like_?

If she had any say in the matter, Mitsuru would crawl back into bed instead of shimmy into that stupid dress that felt too tight around her wrists and collar, but Kyoya made her swear she would come to school, specifically, to the Host Club, to discuss her enslavement. This all still seemed like a very bad idea, but the French blonde was quite confident, despite his peers' reactions to his bold statement.

* * *

-:-

"Boss," Hikaru whined, "You've got to be kidding! What if she robs us again?"

"Yeah, she could just be playing you!" Kaoru added.

The object of which they spoke was still nearly perched on Mori's feet, with a sense of dread and yet also, relief. The Ootori police force wasn't going to be knocking down her uncle's door any time soon looking for her. That was one good thing, at least.

"I'm not, I swear it!" Mitsuru protested, "I don't want to be tortured or anything!"

Tamaki held up his slender pinky, with a serious face, "Promise me something before we leave."

"Y-yes?"

"Promise me you won't steal anymore."

She reached forward to seal the deal, but Mitsuru suddenly pulled back after a moment of thought. She had been stealing for the entirety of her life. Could she really just throw it all away and become an average commoner? The Yamasaki teen had risked so much to get this far and she was going to toss it to the side for some high school boy? Then again… He was a Suoh. So he was a particularly powerful high school boy with many connections and lots of money to spare.

"I promise."

The pinky-swear seemed to be a solid sign for the other hosts, or at least, Haruhi, because he helped the chestnut-haired girl to her feet with ease.

He spoke to her firmly, saying, "You can't run away from these guys, Mitsuru-san. Especially Kyoya-senpai. Tamaki-senpai is being really merciful to just let you off the hook like this."

The only response she could think of was, "Uh, yeah."

"Since you promised Tama-chan, you made a promise to all of us, Mitsu-chan!" Honey declared, "So don't think of breaking it, or I'll be upset!"

'Upset' was likely code for 'incredibly angry and hungry for revenge in the form of blood and your first born' since the glint in the senior's eyes was not unlike a malicious killer.

"O-okay."

Kyoya pressed his glasses to his nose, his face almost having some color due to his rage, but he still spoke in a cool manner, "We'll discuss the terms of your… employment tomorrow after school in the music room."

"Let's go, everyone."

Tamaki's word was law it seemed, as the hosts simultaneously made their way out of the stingy yard, even the twins who were hissing at Mitsuru with vicious intent. Kyoya and his blonde counterpart paused at the sketchy gateway that led to the parking lot which was likely crowded by the four limos and many pedestrians who had come to see the rich folk in such an unnatural habitat.

"If you don't show up to school tomorrow," The Ootori demon smirked evilly, "Well, just try to escape and you'll find out what will occur."

"I-I'll show up!" Mitsuru fell to her knees in a sad attempt of a pleading bow, but the hosts were already gone.

The severe beats of her heart were still there minutes, possibly hours after their departure.

* * *

-:-

And now, here she was, tying up her hair in a last ditch effort to continue playing the part of the snotty aristocrat. Her ankle's swelling had gone down quite a bit, but the other was looking worse, so she settled on wrapping the festering cut with medical tape beneath her white socks. If she were lucky, she could snatch some medical supplies from the nurse's office to clean it up.

Wait. Crap. She promised she wouldn't steal anymore.

"Does this mean I have to return everything I've stolen?" Mitsuru wondered under her breath, as she held her brown school bag tightly in her clutch, "That's everything I own… Even this dumb uniform."

Stupid Host Club! She would have to start from scratch! Her entire wardrobe had been taken over the years from dinky open markets, and even her toiletries were 'borrowed' from department stores and hotels. Would she have to return her blankets and pillows, along with her soaps and shampoos?

Then again, this was a lot better than being arrested. With a thoughtful hum, Mitsuru crossed an empty street, keeping her eyes on the miniscule tip of the academy clock tower in the distance. If she were arrested, she would have to admit to the remainder of her family that she was in a bind with the law, and on top of that, she would have to move in with her uncle, and that was something she absolutely could not do under any circumstances.

Regardless, she had likely already missed homeroom, so she needed to pick up the pace, in case Kyoya decided that she had gone against her word and sent the Ootori task force to her measly little apartment.

* * *

-:-

Haruhi was serving coffee and tea, as per usual. The rich young ladies all clucked at the 'commoner's coffee' that Tamaki sipped with such dramatic gestures that one would think it was a delicious poison. The Host Club was in full swing, and she hadn't seen Mitsuru yet. The teen had showed up late, causing a Host Club regular, Hisako Ito, to go into a panic.

"Where have you been, Mitsuru?! You didn't even show up yesterday! And you're limping! What happened?"

Haruhi had watched with bated breath as the Yamasaki girl sighed before putting on a fake smile that somehow manipulated her eyes into playing along with the façade, "I took a tumble down the stairs. It pained me so that I couldn't even walk to the bathroom yesterday, but I am feeling better now."

"Ugh, you worried me! Here," Hisako gently took her friends' book bag to Mitsuru and Haruhi's surprise, "Let me take these. If you just got a cellphone, I wouldn't have freaked out like that!"

The girl with the coffee eyes tittered politely, "Apologies, Hisako. You know how I despise modern technology."

"Yeah, yeah, just take my arm and stop whining, Granny! Which class are we headed to?"

"Chemistry, I believe."

The brunette hadn't seen a single sign of Mitsuru since and she knew it was sincerely bothering Kyoya. The change nearly went unnoticed, but it was blatantly apparent to Haruhi. He pressed upon his notepad with a more intense force, tapped his pen constantly whenever he had nothing to write, and glared holes in the door with the vision provided by Satan himself. Frankly, he was scaring off some of the customers.

"Kyoya-senpai," Haruhi stepped towards her friend, who spared her a simple glance, "I saw Mitsuru-san earlier today. She might just be slow because of her ankle."

"Or perhaps she is using her companion, Hisako Ito, as a scapegoat and is miles away as we speak."

Haruhi frowned. He was jumping to some ridiculous conclusion because he was stressed.

"But-!"

She needn't say anymore, because Kyoya was already halfway to the door by the time it opened, revealing an annoyed looking Mitsuru who was containing it for the sake of Hisako, who was aflame with joy.

"I'm so excited that you've decided to come back," she gushed, still pressing her friend's arm to her chest, "Everyone here is so charming and handsome! I think you would like Haruhi-kun, Mitsuru. He's so cute!"

Yamasaki locked eyes with Kyoya, no longer as afraid as she previously was, and spoke in a curt tone, "Go on ahead to whomever. I'll be right here."

"But, Mitsuru!" Hisako pouted, "You can't witness Mori-senpai's marvelous poise if you don't come with!"

"I'll be fine. Just go."

The copper-haired girl tossed a pigtail over her shoulder with a huff and stormed off to her favorite host. Sometimes being friends with richer people was so stressful! _Honestly_! The least Mitsuru could do is come see Takashi!

Watching the girl stomp over to her crush, Mitsuru let her shoulders slacken and crossed her arms. Kyoya, the demon king himself, stood before her with a sharpened glare.

"Well? I'm here," she spread her arms out as if to prove her entire being was present.

"Take a seat," Kyoya motioned towards an unoccupied table, "After he is finished entertaining some of our customers, Tamaki will join our discussion regarding your employment."

Mitsuru echoed, " _Employment_. Employment."

The Ootori heir raised a brow questionably. Her tone suggested that the word was from some other foreign dialogue, one that, Kyoya assumed, she had never cared to learn.

"Just, you know," the thief shrugged, "testing it out on the tongue."

As the Shadow King turned away, she murmured to herself, "Tastes better than _imprisonment_ , I suppose."

The chestnut-haired teen tucked her cream skirt beneath her as she sat. Out of habit, her deft fingers ran over the seat of the chair to feel the quality, or rather, to see if it was worth stealing. It was a habit she picked up from a fellow thief who stayed in the apartment building until he got arrested. He taught her that the value of something is in the little details, like the fabric used for the cushion and the type of wood for the legs.

"Huh," Mitsuru heaved a sigh, her melancholy spreading through her body, "That's unfortunate."

"Pardon?"

The foolish girl turned to face the Ootori heir. He was standing, leaning against the wall, a cautious distance away from her, like she was contaminated with some sort of disease (commoner-itis? More like sneak thief-syndrome), but behind his glinting glasses, his obscurely dark eyes were watching her every move. He almost certainly thought that she was going to try and take something (again).

"This chair is easily double the value of the last ones. It's sad that I wasn't able to get away with taking these, too. It would've been a nice income," She explained, all the while, using her fingernails to check the stitching.

"Yamasaki-san," Kyoya put on a false smile that shook the thief's bones, "I'm glad you've brought this up; the matter of your stolen merchandise. Tamaki's first requirement for this arrangement is for you to return all of your stolen merchandise."

Taking a moment to think, Mitsuru placed her chin in her hand. She guessed something like that was pretty reasonable. It was all still in her dumpster anyways, the stupid furniture, that is. The dishes were, well, missing some friends, but maybe Kyoya wouldn't notice.

"Okay."

"I did not expect you to be so compliant."

"Well, I mean, it's your stuff anyways."

"Oh, I don't think you understand."

Mitsuru's chocolate eyes widened in realization, possibly even horror. The guests were dwindling into single digits now, thus many of the hosts watched attentively for the girl's reaction. She rose, spinning to face the Shadow King, and chuckled edgily.

She smiled in a way that was almost cruel, but her worry shined through the hand that was not gripping the table cloth, twitching subtly, "Ha-ha, you must be confused. I already promised to give you back all of your things (the ones that are salvageable anyways) _and_ to stop stealing. This is a pretty lopsided deal already."

"Do you truly believe you have room to complain here, Yamasaki-san? With a snap of my fingers, I could end this _deal_ and send you straight to prison for your crimes."

Mitsuru bit her lip. As painful as it was to admit, Kyoya was right. She had absolutely no wiggle room in this negotiation. But nearly everything she owned was stolen! The only things she could keep would be her sad toiletries, borrowed permanently from hotels that didn't bother locking their third story balcony windows (that didn't count in Mitsuru's book, as stealing). Her purchases from the last heist consisted only of food and some hair products. She was doomed. Even the uniform that was snug on her nonexistent curves would be confiscated!

Swallowing a lump in her throat that tasted quite a lot like pride, the thief's lip twitched as she spoke, "Everything I own is stolen. What will I wear to school?"

The Shadow King stepped to the side before holding up a decorated bag, with a cream dress spilling forth, "Luckily for you, the Host Club is in possession of a lone female uniform, and thus you may take this one and return yours to its former owner."

With a glare, she snatched the carrier, " _Fine_. I will. And what do you expect me to do with everything at my apartment? How should I recall all of those I've stolen from?"

Kyoya shrugged nonchalantly, "Donate it, dump it somewhere, I don't care. As long as you don't sell it."

Now she couldn't even get any money. Great. The cash she had on her person was enough for maybe a pair of pajamas and some other clothes. Haruhi better be good at getting girls legal jobs because she was already running out of ideas of how to survive.

"Yamasaki-san," Tamaki smiled, coming forward after bowing to some giggling girls, "How are you feeling? Is your ankle any better?"

Mitsuru crossed her arms and blew a stray hair out of her face, "I feel great, sir. Like I'm turning over a new leaf, and planting my face in the concrete."

"Well-" The French teen was prepared to respond, but was shoved to the side by the glowering criminal.

"Forget it. Tell Hisako not to wait up. I'm going to change."

Her chestnut hair spilled out from her bun once she entered the changing room. It was a rather lame excuse for a dressing room, with only two simple areas cut off and separated by curtains, but she stomped into one section with a purpose and began to strip.

She felt a little somber, staring at her previous loot hanging up, preparing to be shipped back to its original home. There's something great in taking an object without being caught and giving back the merchandise felt a little like defeat. Mitsuru shook her head, preparing to put on the other uniform, provided generously by the Host Club.

It was a little odd that the group of high school boys had a girl's uniform just lying around, but Mitsuru shimmied into it all the same. Knowing the Host Club's reputation, it was probably a common occurrence for girls to leave their clothes here, unsolicited.

Actually, now that she thought about it…. It smelled kind of nice.

The fit wasn't fantastic, Mitsuru noted as she tied the ribbon around her collar. The bust was stretched a tad, and the hem wasn't long enough, but it would make due. Taking a moment, the crook also redid the bun atop of her head, with the intent of keeping the single thread of her false identity alive. Once her hair was pulled taught, and her bangs swept behind her ears, with the exception of the flock of strands that were too short to tuck, she swung the curtain to the side, with her previous uniform left behind, like a skin she had shed, hanging up as trash to be taken out.

"It fits," Haruhi stated, with a sense of surprise.

Yamasaki shrugged, "I guess so."

"So, as per our agreement," Kyoya didn't even bother looking up from his notebook, his cursed little book of secrets, "You will be returning your previous uniform to whomever it rightfully belongs to."

Mitsuru gave her sleeves a tug, avoiding the prying eyes of the gentlemen of the Host Club, "Yeah. I'll get on that."

"For now, I suppose we should decide how exactly to put Mitsuru to work," the Shadow King took a moment to readjust his glasses before continuing, "Tamaki, as you were the one to suggest this arrangement, I trust you had something in mind?"

"I still don't see why we're letting her stay!" Hikaru hissed, "She's evil."

Hastily and hotly, Mitsuru retorted, "Ha! I should've hit you harder if you have the energy to whine."

Kaoru held Hikaru back, though both twins sent her hateful glares.

"She is athletic and particularly strong to accomplish what she did in one night," Tamaki considered, "perhaps she could serve as an assistant to our delivery service?"

The idea was processed for a moment before Kyoya spoke up, saying, "Whatever we deliver, we deliver personally, with our own servants and staff. I see no reason to let her do someone else's job."

"Maybe she can help make us new cakes!" Honey offered.

Mitsuru crossed her arms over her chest, the cream material folding in odd areas where the fit wasn't quite right, "I can't bake."

"Protection."

Kyoya looked up at Mori, responding hastily with, "Once again, we have specific task forces for each host's safety."

"We should burn her at the stake! Offer her to Nekozawa!" The Hitachiin twins proposed.

The room tore into discussion, the twins deliberate in their case of sacrificing Mitsuru to the Black Magic Club, and the others tossing pitiable ideas at one another. Haruhi took a moment to simply observe the chestnut-haired crook. Her amber eyes were glossed over, her hands drumming her arms idly, obviously uninterested in the arguing hosts' dilemma.

"Mitsuru-san," Haruhi spoke up, and the chaos of the club died down.

Fiery eyes met honey-colored orbs and the girl playing the part of a male host continued.

"What do you think of becoming Kyoya-senpai's assistant?"

The idea was preposterous. The thief's wide eyes drifted to the Shadow King, whose mouth was agape for nearly a whole three seconds before it snapped shut with a sense of prideful anger. Mitsuru didn't want to admit that she did the same thing. How could she ever want to work for the person who hates her most?

She assumed he was the one in charge, despite Tamaki claiming to be the King of the Hosts. He surely looked the part, but it was clear to the chestnut-haired strategist that the black-haired Prince was the one pulling the strings. The Ootori boy was all about profit, and she had directly attacked him with robbing his "investment." By working as his helper, she would be setting herself up for an early death. But… her other options weren't looking so good either.

She could accidentally poison someone if she tried baking cakes for Honey, and she would be tempted to steal something if she was delivering items for the club. Acting as a type of guard would be the perfect way to escape, but she wasn't going to risk being arrested or tracked down by the Ootori task force.

But she also had no idea what duties she would be performing as an assistant. She had never truly worked for anyone before, besides some… less than respectable groups in the past. Yet, even in those environments, everyone looked out for themselves, and it was never on Yamasaki's mind to help anyone else out.

She could specifically recall an instance where her "partner" had been arrested before her very eyes. The gang functioned in groups of two, and you would alternate partners every month, or earlier if the two of you weren't getting along. Mitsuru loved this girl like her own blood. She remembered that her name was Kazumi, and her face had all but blurred, until guilt sharpened the image. They had been partners in crime (in all senses), and their last heist was the last heist Mitsuru ever performed with a group, leaving behind gangs altogether.

They had found their way into a fairly large house a few towns over, and everyone was gone for the weekend. The other gang members, praying for the success of the heist, assisted in disabling the security system, and although Mitsuru was younger, she was more experienced, and Kazumi followed her lead. Kazumi was her assistant, and she left her in the dust.

"Hey, hoist me up real fast," Mitsuru mumbled into her chest.

Kazumi grinned and said, "You got it, boss," just like she always did.

She put blind faith in Yamasaki, and it ended up biting her in the butt, when Kazumi had taken on the basement, and Mitsuru the attic. The police had shown up because the family had called, suspicious of the fact that their house sitter (an agent working on the inside) hadn't checked in like they requested, and the chestnut-haired thug was left with a choice. She could either risk being arrested and warn Kazumi, or escape alone.

It was an obvious decision. The rope she used to escape the attic was yanked down seconds after she touched the ground, and she felt nothing when she read the reports on the college student cat burglar the morning after.

Mitsuru Yamasaki was not a team player, and she was especially not someone's assistant. Yet, here she was, every movement being watched by seven pairs of eyes, as she felt herself reflexively inching towards the door, in a group.

"I don't think that's a good idea," she finally responded, hoping that the silence hadn't been too noticeably long.

"I concur," the Shadow King hastily added, "I do not trust her with any of the information an assistant of mine would be handling."

Haruhi shrugged, "Okay, so what if she just took on all the stuff I do?"

Mitsuru perked her head up, "Like?"

The brunette idly made a circular motion with her finger, "Like, making tea, and serving coffee."

The chestnut-haired crook took a moment to consider, and suddenly paled. Making tea… serving coffee… to a bunch of gentlemen?

As if the words her poison, she spat out, "Like a _maid_?"

"What a wonderful idea! But… I would terribly miss seeing our adorable Haruhi carrying those trays…" Tamaki trailed off, his enthusiasm dying down like an ember.

"Yeah!" Honey piped in, whining at best, "Haru-chan won't be our helper anymore!"

How close were these hosts in reality? What an odd description to use, Mitsuru noted to herself.

"Senpai," Haruhi seemed exasperated, "She can just do those things while we find a more permanent solution."

Under her breath, the brunette added, "Though I wouldn't mind not doing that stuff anymore."

The rest of the hosts seemed satisfied, or at least placated by the results, because even Tamaki seemed to pretend to contemplate the current solution, no matter how temporary it seemed.

The foundation of this "employment" seemed shaky at best; Mitsuru wasn't sure what she expected, but it was definitely not this disorder. The Host Club seems so put together on the outside, with all of their events and parades running smoothly like well-oiled clockwork, but it seemed like with Kyoya getting more agitated with each passing moment, their clock was beginning to lurch and stagger.

"So," the manager snapped his notebook shut, in hopes of closing this chapter of the afternoon, "it's been decided, then. Mitsuru Yamasaki will be working as a server of sorts until we find a more…"

He seemed to pause, his eyes darting over the thief of the hour for a split moment before dragging out the rest of his thought, " _Permanent_ solution."

A pregnant quiet once again washed over the Host Club, as if it had finally hit them that this was an arrangement they were actually letting happen. It was technically not too late to just slap some handcuffs on her and boot her out of school, but Tamaki had too big a heart, and too much love to toss a young woman aside, or more appropriately, into jail.

Haruhi, feeling the rope-like tension that was ensnaring them all, rocked on her heels for a moment, "Mitsuru-san, why don't we go return your uniform? The rest of the club can close up. We can even talk about possible job-"

"No, thank you," Despite its flowery delivery, poison was still poison and Haruhi nearly flinched, had she not been expected such hostility from the taller young woman, "Just because I'm now a servant to your club doesn't mean I want to be your friend. We can discuss all that stuff about my employment later."

She was a wounded animal, running away to lick her wounds before she had to come traipsing back to this sickeningly sweet white and pink nightmare.

"For now," Yamasaki spoke firmly, "I'd like to be alone."

* * *

-:-

"I don't think she likes me very much," Haruhi stated.

The Hitachiin twins appeared at her sides instantly, finally unfrozen from their previous state of distaste.

"Who cares what _she_ thinks," said Kaoru, with Hikaru finishing his thought, " _We_ love you, Haruhi!"

Honey, oddly melancholy, watched the door, as if Mitsuru would return suddenly, "Mitsu-chan seems so lonely."

His tall guardian hummed in agreement, and Tamaki burst forth, "Perhaps then, Haruhi, this is your chance to reach out and make more girl friends!"

Haruhi rolled her eyes, "Senpai, I don't think she wants to be friends with anyone, let alone me."

"Hisako likes her."

The princess of the hosts looked up at Mori, with a raised brow, "You know her well?"

When the giant did not respond, Honey filled in, "She's one of Mori's most frequent guests!"

"Then, she's our ace in the hole." Kyoya chimed in, his scheming gears turning so quickly they could produce steam, "if Mitsuru starts to act up, or tries to find a way out of our arrangement, we can use Hisako as a kind of blackmail."

"There goes the Shadow King, living up to his title!" The twins paraded, "I think it's a great idea!"

 _As if the idea of going to prison wasn't enough_ , Haruhi thought to herself.

"Kyoya-senpai," she sighed, "Don't you think you're going a bit overboard?"

His sharp eyes shrank, glowering at her with a sense of frustration, "Going overboard? My going overboard would be me allowing for her to be arrested. This is merely child's play compared to what should be happening."

"I agree with Haruhi," Tamaki spoke, firmly and respectfully, his cerulean eyes shimmering with conviction, "We shouldn't expose Mitsuru like that. She could be trying to start a new life."

Kyoya opened his mouth to protest, but his blonde counterpart continued, "I understand that what she's done is wrong and we shouldn't allow her to go freely, but that's not what's happening here. Mitsuru is lost, so we're not just going to let her roam; we're going to help her. We're going to help her leave that life of crime, and become a law abiding citizen. So, please, Kyoya, be patient with her."

* * *

-:-

Mitsuru was not lost.

She took a different route home than she normally did, in hopes of getting stabbed in an alleyway and escaping the pain that was her life currently. Unfortunately, the shiny cream dress that stuck on her body like a modern day scarlet letter was not enough for her to be approached, as her hair had fallen from its peak and into her face, making her appear more like an undead student than a lost schoolgirl.

She hardly even acknowledged Aya, when the elderly woman welcomed her back to the apartment complex, shoving her key into her door knob, only to find herself giving up and pressing her forehead against the cool metal of her door.

"Is something the matter, dear?"

Aya could hardly be called a harmless old woman. Once, when the weather had been a bit warmer than usual, Mitsuru saw the landlord roll up her sleeve, revealing a tattoo of a snake swallowing a knife: a popular gang symbol. And the only reason Mitsuru knew was because she had the same one placed on her body as well. Her upper arms were plagued with the memories of past lives, and she found it both shocking and comforting that Aya suffered the same fate.

Still, she was sickly sweet, wearing sweaters made by grandchildren she couldn't see anymore, and giving gifts of insanely generous quality and practicality. She barely reached Mitsuru's naval, yet she was the biggest (not necessarily in size) woman the teen had ever met.

"I got caught in a big heist, and instead of arresting me, these people are making me work for them." She decided not to lie, since the truth always came out for Aya, and she figured if anyone could understand, it would be the forever smiling grandma.

"Well, that's not so bad," the elder responded as though this was old news, "At least you're not in jail."

"Yeah, I guess. I just… I was smarter than this, and I got caught."

"I suppose then that you've met someone just as smart as you are."

Mitsuru snorted, finally putting the effort into opening her door, swinging the screeching metal open to reveal her pitch black apartment, "Hardly. Thanks anyways, Aya-san. I'll still be paying rent, don't worry."

Aya waved her hand, as if swatting a bug, "Don't fret about it; you know I'll let you pay whenever you like."

"And that's why I have to pay on time. Have a good day."

"You, too, dear."

* * *

 **Thanks to all of you who followed this story: (Lunarose jodes, BeckaBeMaia, becca100400rose, tamagucci and jinkiestrap)**

 **Those who made this story a favorite of theirs: (Sam726, BeckaBeMaia, Yukiko17 and tamagucci)**

 **And last, but not least, those who reviewed.**

 **(** **bored411) : Thank you. I hope you enjoy this update. I'm not sure if this chapter is any indication, but Mitsuru may not make this the smoothest sailing for the host club.**

 **(naes151) : Thank you; I plan on making this pairing of Mitsuru and Kyoya a slow simmer, as romance is not something that should be rushed. Thank you for the review.**

 **(Mayumayu (Guest)): Now that I think about it, a longer chase might've been nice.. But I think it will all work out for the best. Thank you for the compliment! Let's just say that Mitsuru may not obey Kyoya, and try to run away. Chase scenes just always seem to excite me, so I will continue with that theme. Please, continue to enjoy.**

 **If you'd like to leave feedback, I try to respond to every review I receive. Thank you for reading; I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**


	4. Because They Are (Best)Friends

"OW!"

Hot tea, the stuff of hell, Mitsuru was slowly learning, spilt over the brim of the kettle, soaking her blistering hands. It was her tenth attempt at transporting tea, yet somehow she kept screwing it up. Haruhi, Mitsuru's appointed teacher, was her designated client, and nearly had his face scalded off by the first three batches, so one could say that her work was not quite meeting anyone's standards.

"Mitsuru-san, is everything alright?" Haruhi questioned.

The chestnut haired crook wanted to spit at him. She wanted to tear out his hair and run away, but instead, she settled on glaring at him.

"Does this look like it's going well?" She hissed, "The tray is too wobbly. The cups keep hitting each other and chipping."

"Ah, well," The brunette host seemed to disregard the harshness of Mitsuru's tone, "I had lots of difficulty learning the trick to balancing it all, too, but all you really have to do keep a firm grip on both handles."

"What the hell do you think I've been doing this whole time?!"

"Blowing up, already, Yamasaki-san?"

The devilish Demon King and his posse were within safe distance of the training session. Mitsuru was positive that the hosts were spread out so that if she made a run for it, one of them could catch her. She wanted to test that theory. Badly.

"Oh, I'm sorry," her curt voice could've curdled custard, "I forgot that you do this every day of your life. You work _so_ hard, doing the dirty work no one else would do, don't you, Ootori-san?"

Her words seemed to get enough under his skin that he halted twirling his pencil. He had been taking notes a while back, but stopped so that he could scrutinize every mistake Mitsuru made. In turn, she would feed him hateful comments, none of which hit the mark until this one. The tension in the room was so thick, it could've broken a knife.

No one said anything, or rather, they didn't have the chance to, because Mitsuru was right back at it, "Why don't you come over here and try it for yourself? I'll be sure to specially hand everything over gentle, and not splash it on that million dollar face. Did your parents pay for that mug of yours? Because if so, let them know it needs more work."

Luckily for her, Kyoya was above that kind of behavior. He wasn't going to stoop to her level just to provide an angry reaction she was looking for. His parents didn't hold his hand in any areas, so he wasn't worked up over that, but it was more the thought that she seemed to think that he didn't work for what he had. Everything Kyoya accomplished was on his own terms, so he didn't want his successes to be considered easily won.

He, and the rest of the hosts were reaching the point of wanting to kick Mitsuru out and into prison. If not for Tamaki's incredible grace and mercy, he, too, would be at that ledge, but he took a page out of Haruhi's book, and spoke softer and patiently. Everyone else, on the other hand…

"Mitsu-chan, you can do it!" Honey's sweet voice rang through the Third Music Room.

"I can do whatever the hell I want! That's not the problem here, you baby-eating, constipated Lolita!"

Honey cowered atop of Mori's shoulders, and no one dared ask what in the world she meant by baby-eating (and constipated, as that was one of the many issues that did not plague Honey). Takashi, on the other hand, towered above her, in hopes of intimidating her into peaceful quiet, but the thug looked up at him with an expression that could've beat out Kasanova.

"What? Don't like what I have to say, you mute lunatic? Back off! You two creeps may be into martial arts, but I've seen what your little club is about; you've never been in a true fight. So, I advise you keep your distance before I teach you!"

"You're pretty cocky for someone who's living in a dumpster!" the Hiitachin twins were itching to take her on in a fight, knowing full well that despite her less than threatening appearance (while wearing the Ouran uniform, at least), Mitsuru wasn't one to be underestimated.

" _Excuse_ me?"

The tray was shoved into Haruhi's chest, which was nearly soaked in boiling hot tea, and Mitsuru was fuming.

"You two homosexuals don't know the first thing about me; so you just decide to insult my living situation? You realize I stole out of necessity, right? If I could live somewhere better, I would, but I can't! I don't have any money thanks to you guys, and now I'm not only broke but nearly homeless," Mitsuru directed her pointed finger from the smoking twins (who embraced each other in an attempt to recover from the firing squad that was the chestnut haired girl's wrath), to Tamaki, who had been sitting speechless on the sidelines, "Thanks to this asshole!"

"That's enough."

Mitsuru's head snapped towards Haruhi. His arms were crossed across his chest, and his expression said that he was beyond exasperated. They hadn't actually been in the Music Room for more than an hour, but the presence of the other hosts put Mitsuru on edge, and she wouldn't admit it out loud, but the pressure made her shake, and crack nearly all of their spare tea cups (and their skulls).

"You're acting like a spoiled brat."

"Spoiled brat?" The thief made her way to Haruhi, who surprisingly didn't back down, "I own next to nothing and you have the balls to call me _spoiled_? Just because you hellish hosts are holding the leash doesn't mean I can't pull!"

Haruhi opened her mouth to responded, hoping to keep herself levelheaded in her scolding Yamasaki, when the doors to the Music room creak open.

"Excuse me," said two copper pigtails, "I'm so sorry to show up before hours, but I'm looking for-"

Hisako Ito looked up, halfway through her sentence, and her chocolate eyes shot to Yamasaki, whose entire demeanor had changed the moment the door opened. Her back was straight, like a wooden ruler, and her fury had washed away, like water pouring over a flame. Whatever red fire was burning behind her coffee eyes had died down, and she appeared more serene than any of the hosts.

"Mitsuru!" Hisako appeared relieved, yet still concerned, trying to keep her glances at the hosts to a minimal, "It was so unlike you to leave class in such a rush. And now I see you're…?"

Suspicion sat atop the tension like a hat, and Mitsuru was visibly unnerved by her friend's presence. How could she make an excuse? How could she cover this up? She was completely alone with the people she had hated (still hated) just a few days ago.

"I, well-" Her voice cracked, and she started again, fiddling with the extra material of her skirt, "I guess there's no hiding this from you, is there?"

Hisako put her hands on her hips, furrowing her brow in either confusion or anger, it was unclear.

"Hiding what from me?" She inquired.

The hosts let Mitsuru respond. They respected her decision to tell the truth, but in turn, they wondered how Hisako would react. Yet, it was such an honorable thing for her to be honest, thus they sat silent.

"Hiding that…" She trailed off, eyeing Haruhi, before sighing and giving a big fake smile, "I was planning a surprise for you!"

Haruhi felt the need to face palm. Here was Mitsuru's chance to be truthful, and she ruined it!

"A surprise?" Hisako's sparkling eyes seemed to buy into it enough, though the hosts seemed to glare at Mitsuru.

The liar and thief shook her head, seemingly in disbelief, "I was trying so hard that you wouldn't catch me. Ah, well, I suppose it won't be a surprise anymore. Shall I tell you what I planning?"

"Yamasaki-san, that's-!" Haruhi cut in. Lying to Hisako's face like this is just unreasonable!

Hisako looked so pleased, "Yes! I mean, no. Don't tell me. I'll… I'll just pretend I never saw you, okay?"

"Oh, you are a darling," Mitsuru placed a hand over her heart, as if to calm it, "Thank you for this. I promise that this surprise will be wonderful; just, please forget I was here!"

She backtracked to the door and sent a comically over exaggerated thumbs-up to the group, saying, "No problem!" before closing the double doors behind her.

A pregnant silence engulfed the room as Mitsuru seemed to shrink back from the club's annoyed glares.

"Yamasaki!" The twins barked, finally piercing the quiet, "You idiot! Why didn't you just tell her the truth?!"

"I can't just come out and tell her that!" She rebutted, "Hisako would never let me live the way I am; I don't want her to think that she's responsible for me. Just…"

Mitsuru heaved a sigh, her shoulders falling down from their pretentious peak, "Please, go along with this. Hisako is too good of a girl. She would be devastated by... all this."

A rose-scented arm slung over her shoulders, pressing her into his purple jacket, "What a magnificent display of loyalty! Of love! You truly do have a heart beneath your rude and condescending exterior!"

Tamaki spun Mitsuru around by her shoulders, laughing all the while, nearly maniacally, "We'll keep your secret, and do whatever it takes to keep Hisako in the dark!"

"Thank you, Suoh-san!" She was out of breath by the time they stopped their childish waltz, and grabbed onto a seat for balance, "One day… I'll tell Hisako about this and we can all laugh!"

"This just doesn't seem like a good idea," Haruhi muttered, with Honey agreeing from atop Mori's shoulders.

"Don't worry," Tamaki gushed, giving the brunette a gentle embrace, "I have everything under control!"

"Yeah, because _that's_ reassuring."

-:-

"Well, this sounds like exciting business."

"It's hardly business, Aya-san. I mean, I'm practically their slave until the day I – ow!"

"Oh, hush now," said the elder woman, tugging Mitsuru's hand back into her lap.

She dabbed an icy, wet towel on the thief's burned hand, hoping to ease the pain. Mitsuru was drumming her other hand's fingers against the table she sat at. If anyone could help her now, it was Aya. Perhaps some of her old gang relations could help her hide, or change her name and face. It would be a painful process, both physically and mentally to change herself completely, but after this first week of training, she was more than willing.

"I shouldn't have agreed to their deal," Mitsuru huffed, "I was just so desperate that I… ugh, I ruined everything."

"I would say this isn't the worst deal you've made."

Mitsuru slowly looked over to Aya. The elder woman was peering at her, too, with knowing eyes.

"Yeah," the girl scratched her nose with her free hand, glancing away, "I… suppose you're right."

"Just think of all this as a gift," Aya dipped the towel into the bowl of water beside her, carefully wringing it out before continuing.

Mitsuru snorted, "Ha! How is any of this good?"

A smile appeared on Aya's withered face, "You still get to go to school, and you're not in prison."

"I won't be able to keep going to Ouran without an income," Mitsuru sighed.

"You are a very smart girl. You will figure something out."

The two women were quiet for a moment. Mitsuru looked down at her hands, which were red and aggravated.

"Why are you so nice to me, Aya-san?"

The elder woman paused, as if thinking, and then smiled once again, like she had a secret, "Who knows? When you're old, you do a lot of things you can't explain."

"Huh. Well, thank you. I appreciate it."

"Don't mention it," Aya winked, "I've got a reputation to hold up!"

-:-

Mitsuru was on her way back to her room when she ran into Teruko. Without her work clothes on, she looked fairly normal. She had a kind of facial mask on, making her look sickly, and her hair was tied in a big knot on the top of her head. There was a toothbrush in her mouth, and she was spitting out over the balcony.

"Hello," Teruko greeted her.

"Hey," Mitsuru returned, leaning against the railing beside her, "Are you getting ready to go out?"

"Nope. I'm spending tonight with myself, and no one else. What about you, Yama-chan? Any work for the Dragons tonight?"

"You know I don't take on jobs for them anymore," Mitsuru sighed.

"I know that, but I also know that they've been looking for a replacement."

"A replacement?" The chestnut-haired girl raised a brow.

Teruko nodded, careful not to rearrange her hair, "Yeah. One of the Dragon boys was telling me that they were looking for another scout and I thought maybe you joined back up."

"Ha! Good luck finding anyone _half_ as good as me," Mitsuru snickered to herself.

"Consider the word spread, huh," Teruko picked up a cup from the ground and gurgled its contents.

The two girls paused for a moment as Teruko spat out a stream over the balcony. It splattered on the concrete, making a kind of design on the ground.

"Do they know that I live here?" Mitsuru asked quietly.

Taking on a serious tone, Teruko crossed her arms on the railing, "I don't know. I'll keep an eye out for them."

"Thank you, Teruko."

"Honey," the blonde turned and gave her an odd smile that crinkled the formula on her face, "Please call me Teru."

-:-

"You hardly spilled that one," Haruhi praised, "You're improving!"

"Yeah, I guess so."

Mitsuru wasn't impressed by her work. The tea she was making (and nearly flinging across the room) was mediocre, at best. It tasted like bitter water, and no matter what technique she tried, it still wasn't good. As a test, she presented three cups to three of the Hosts (after hours, of course), to see which they preferred.

"This is awful," Hikaru spat it back out in his cup.

Mitsuru gritted her teeth, "Good thing I gave it to you, then."

Honey was nice enough to swallow it, but placed his cup back down with a, "Yuck!"

Haruhi was last, picking up his cup and taking a big sip. Mitsuru watched expectedly, as that was the cup she had put something special into. She was hoping it made it taste better.

The boy swallowed, put his cup down, and looked at Mitsuru, "This isn't terrible. You just need some more practice."

Mitsuru hid her proud smile. She had stirred in some honey in hopes of improving the taste, and it had done just that.

"What! I don't believe she can make anything tasty," Hikaru leapt over and took a sip out of Haruhi's cup.

"I want to test it, too!" Kaoru chimed in.

"What the hell? I can just make another cup!" The Yamasaki girl groaned.

"Wow, this isn't the worst thing ever," one of the twins noted.

The other drank a bit as well, saying, "Yeah, it's still bad, but it isn't as bad as it was."

Tamaki scolded the twins for drinking from Haruhi's cup, but did the same, "How edible! You've improved by leaps and bounds! Bravo, Mitsuru-san!"

"At this rate, she can serve tea during work hours in about two months."

Mitsuru glared at Kyoya, who met her gaze with the same amount of malice. No matter how hard she worked, it didn't seem like she could shut him up. It had been another week of rigorous practice, and he hardly had anything good to say. She wasn't surprised. She didn't have anything nice to say to him either.

"I'll remember this the next time you make your own tea," Mitsuru put a finger to her chin in mock-thought, "Oh, wait. You never have, and probably never will."

Haruhi sighed, tired of their constant back and forth arguing, "Can you two just cut it out for a day? Mitsuru, why don't you go and try and make some coffee this time."

"Aye-aye."

She slipped away into their makeshift kitchen. It never ceased to amaze her how much better their equipment was than hers. There was a brand of mixer that Mitsuru hadn't even seen on television yet. There were some utensils she didn't even know the use of. She set to work with the instant coffee, glad there was at least something she recognized in this school. In the back of her mind, she wondered how in the world such a common thing ended up at Ouran, but she didn't follow the train of thought. She had to focus on the coffee.

Mitsuru stirred it up with a spoon, and pulled it out for a taste. It was so hot it nearly singed her tongue. The taste was bitter to the point that she scrunched her nose. Perhaps she was expected to add something to it? She couldn't imagine Honey would be able to drink straight black coffee. She shuffled around in the cupboards until she found a glass jar filled with white powder. This was sugar, wasn't it? Experimentally, she opened it and dipped her finger in. After giving it a lick, she spat it into the sink. That was flour.

She scavenged the shelves again, until she settled on just pouring some cream into it. It changed the color of the liquid, and she absentmindedly wondered if she was supposed to serve it black. She hid it underneath a layer of whip cream. How come she could find that, and not sugar? Oh, well. She put the cup on a tray and wobbled out to the main room.

"I just thought it would be a good idea for you to have an assistant," Haruhi was talking to Kyoya as Mitsuru reentered the room.

The Shadow King didn't look pleased, "I have always worked alone, and never once needed help. I imagine having someone else would just slow me down."

"I'm just saying-"

Kyoya looked up from Haruhi's face, and met Mitsuru's eyes. A fire could've lit between them. Haruhi followed his eyes until she turned around fully and noticed the tray in Mitsuru's hands.

"Already finished?" The host grinned, "Let's give it a taste."

"You put whip cream on it?" he questioned, as he took the cup from Mitsuru's wrapped hands.

"I thought it would be a nice touch."

Haruhi took a sip, getting the cream on his upper lip. Mitsuru thought it looked like a moustache.

"This is really good."

"WHAT?"

The twins and Tamaki all gathered around the male host, nearly running Mitsuru over. She watched as all of them took experimental sips, only to be astounded by the taste. Their overly dramatic responses made Mitsuru twitch a bit in frustration, but she was more overwhelmed by the idea that she had created something that didn't taste awful.

"Stop drinking out of my cup!" Haruhi scolded, "Mitsuru, can you please just make some more for everyone?"

The girl rolled her amber eyes over to Kyoya, "…For _everyone_?"

"I would like to see for myself if you are actually capable of making something edible," The Shadow King commented.

A wicked smile spread on Mitsuru's face, "Of course. I'll go make some more."

She went back into the kitchen and prepared more coffee. She repeated the process of pouring in the white cream, and adding whip cream on top, for all cups except one. The black coffee sitting in the cup reflected a sinister look. Perhaps she could put something in there so disgusting that the Shadow King himself would vomit. Oh, how she'd love to cause him anguish.

She reached in the fridge pulled out what appeared to be salad dressing. She had it turned upside down; willing to pour it out, but something in the back of her mind stopped her. If Mitsuru really wanted to get the last laugh, she would prepare the most delicious cup of instant coffee that boy had ever had in his life. That way, he couldn't deny that she was getting better. Mitsuru hesitantly put the salad dressing back in the fridge, and replaced it with the cream she had been using. She dumped all of it into a single cup, nearly overflowing the now caramel colored mixture. She put a mountain of whip cream on top. She wondered if there was a cherry somewhere she could decorate it with, but went against the idea.

Mitsuru reentered the room with the tray, and was surprised to see most of the hosts awaiting her (besides Kyoya and Mori). They each took a cup, and Mitsuru was careful to angle the tray so that the cup for Kyoya was furthest away. What she didn't expect was for Mori to step in and take said cup, without a word, and hand it to Honey.

"Hey, wait, I-" She paused.

The boy already had all of the whip cream licked up.

Mori looked down at her questioningly, but she simply said, "Uh, yeah, okay, that's fine."

Kyoya was the last to receive a cup. She wished she had prepared two special cups, as she watched him take a cup with a condescending glance. Mitsuru also thought that perhaps making a disgusting drink for him after all would have been a clever idea.

She sat down and tried not to make it obvious she was watching for Kyoya's reaction. Haruhi enjoyed the remains of his own cup, protesting when both the twins offered him their cups, under the condition that he drink for their cups. Mitsuru tried not to think about it too much.

"Wow!" Honey looked like he was over the moon, "This is so yummy, Mitsu-chan!"

Once again, she tried not to look pleased, but a small smile found its way onto her face, "Really?"

"So sweet, so bitter," Tamaki placed his cup on the table, so that he could dramatically swing his arms, "Two sides of the same coin! Two perspectives on one situation! Just like love! You've portrayed so much emotion with a single cup… I think our guests would love this beverage!"

He looked to Kyoya for approval, and the dark-haired teen was taking a second sip from his cup. His glasses fogged up a bit for a moment, and when he put the cup back down, he was looking down at his notebook.

"I suppose we could serve this to our customers."

Mitsuru wanted to shout, but she settled on giving him a smug grin. She was capable of doing this. She could do this. All she had to do was keep practicing.

"Your tea on the other hand," Kyoya sent her back the same kind of smile, "Needs a miracle."

-:-

"Am I allowed to ask?"

Mitsuru looked up from her book to see Hisako's coffee eyes. Her usual pigtails were replaced by two high buns.

"About what?" She returned.

Hisako's grin grew, and she leaned down to whisper, "About my surprise!"

It had been two weeks since then. Mitsuru had already forgotten. Instead of saying that, she put a finger to her lips.

"It's still a secret, remember?" She spoke around it.

Hisako let out a giggle, "Oh, I'm so excited! I can't wait for whatever it is."

"It will be worth all the anticipation," is what she responded.

But, stepping into the chaos of the Host club after work hours, she began to think differently. The twins were pestering Haruhi, much to Tamaki's demise, and Honey was consuming a cake meant for a family of five, all while under the protective gaze of Mori. Kyoya glanced up from his work to meet Mitsuru's gaze when she walked in, and they shared a vehement look.

"Should I just go home?" she asked no one in particular.

She didn't expect a response, but was still a bit put off by the lack of one. She gave up, and sat down on one of the love seats, being sure to spread out. If they weren't going to put her to work, then she was going to try and get some rest.

"Mitsu-chan, Mitsu-chan!"

She sat up with an audible groan, "What?"

Her amber eyes met black beady ones as Honey held up his stuffed rabbit in her face, "Usa-chan wants to know if you want some cake!"

Mitsuru nearly smacked the bunny aside, but she settled on pushing it away, "No, I don't! I'm tired. Go away."

Honey turned away, dejected, and ran to Mori for a reassuring embrace. Perhaps she had been a little too harsh with him. But it was true! She was exhausted. Every day she came home late from school, only to struggle to return some of her stolen goods. She had shoved her old uniform into a closet after sneaking (back) into a large home, and some of the little things like a bottle of expensive perfume and a sturdy hairbrush were back where they belonged. Yet, she simply didn't have enough time. For each thing she was returning, she had to go buy its replacement, and it was getting more and more difficult each day. She was running low on funds.

She rolled over on the love seat, shoving her face into the quality fabric. When was the last time she had anything good to eat? Now that she thought about it…

"Honey-senpai."

The blonde boy whipped his head back towards Mitsuru, with a surprised expression, "Mitsu-chan?"

"What flavor is it?"

It took him a moment to realize what she was talking about, but he smiled as he responded, "Chocolate!"

Like a zombie rising from the grave, Mitsuru sat up from her spot on the seat. She made her way over to Honey's dining table, and took a seat, a bit mechanically. Mori scooted over a bit so their knees wouldn't hit each other. She nodded gratefully to him.

"I actually would like some," she murmured, not meeting Honey's sparkling eyes.

"Hurray! Mitsu-chan, you can have _this_ piece!"

He ended up giving her the biggest slice, and Mitsuru pecked at it like a bird. She didn't want to seem over eager, but she was absolutely thrilled. Her favorite flavor was chocolate!

When she realized that Honey was watching her with an enthusiastic smile, she threateningly pointed her fork at him, "Wipe that gross look off your face. I'm just hungry, that's all."

"Ahh!" Honey ducked to hide behind Mori, "Mitsu-chan is scary."

With a mouthful of cake, she responded a bit halfheartedly, "Yeah, don't forget it."

-:-

It took the hosts an entire hour to get back on track. Apparently, they had been discussing their upcoming event (which Mitsuru hadn't the faintest clue of) when Tamaki and the twins had begun debating over what Haruhi should wear. Mitsuru was still taken back by how obsessive they seemed over the boy. She wondered if it was because he was the newest host. Perhaps they were just worried about his performance. In a way, it was sweet. In another way, it made Mitsuru sick.

"So, we should have the entire room themed properly, of course. I'm thinking we could import some exotic plants, from the jungles of the Amazon!" Tamaki looked so excited he could burst.

"We'll send the notes on our attire to our seamstress," Hikaru and Kaoru added, "They'll be done next week."

"What's all this?" Mitsuru picked up a few papers on the floor, noting that they looked like designs for some elaborate costumes.

Haruhi's eyes widened a tad, "Oh, that's right! You've never been to one of our themed days, have you, Mitsuru?"

"No, I haven't." Her words came out a bit bitter, but Haruhi didn't seem to notice.

"What a glorious day you will get to behold!" Tamaki swung his arms so wide they nearly smacked one of the twins in the face (purposefully or not, Mitsuru found it a bit amusing), "In two weeks, we shall showcase the exquisite and mysterious allure of the African jungles! Princes of the Amazon will be on the prowl for beautiful maidens, come the day of our event!"

"Does this mean I have to wear a costume?"

For a moment, the French boy was speechless, yet he recovered quickly, wrenching a piece of paper away from one of the twins and shoving it near Mitsuru's face.

"Of course! We already have something in mind! How could we forget, that you, our faithful new server (Mitsuru hissed), would finally be joining us come next week! This outfit will show your newfound affinity for the Host Club!"

"Affinity?" the thief growled, "Fat chance. Let me see this."

Begrudgingly, the thief snatched the paper and took a better look at what was scribbled there. It was a skimpy little outfit, drawn with the skilled hands of a designer. There was a skirt that hung loosely around the hips, revealing the graphite woman's protruding hip bones, and her blouse was just a wrap. There were some theories on gaudy jewelry written in the margin, but Mitsuru didn't bother reading anymore. She crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it back to Tamaki.

"No way in hell am I wearing something like that!"

"What's wrong with it?" Hikaru questioned, looking a bit offended.

Kaoru joined in, with a pout of his own, "It's perfectly designed. It's only flaw would be having _you_ wear it."

Mitsuru took a swipe at the nearest Hitachiin, but they danced out of her reach with amused laughs.

"This is skimpy garbage! I'm not parading around in glorified underwear!"

The click of a pen made her entire body freeze up. She fixed a hair that had fallen out of place, and glared over her shoulder at Kyoya, who had picked up the ball of paper.

"It matches the theme to a T. If you're unwilling to cooperate, I'm sure there is some way to reach an agreement. Then again, if you are truly displeased with these conditions, you are free to leave."

His every word was poison. Of course she wasn't free to leave! He was backing her into the same corner she had tried to inch out of. She caught the paper ball when he tossed it back at her. The skinny model seemed to be judging her. Mitsuru tried not to turn around and stuff it down Kyoya's throat.

She got as far as twisting around and raising her hand, but stopped when Haruhi stepped in between the two.

"We can get you a jacket, or a wrap or something," he offered.

Mitsuru simmered down, but her eyes were still full of molten lava, "Yeah. Sure. Can I go home now?"

"Your tea serving skills still need a lot of work," Kyoya replied.

Under her breath, Mitsuru hissed, "So does your attitude, prick," as she slipped back into the prep room.

Haruhi followed her, sending a kind of disappointed look at Tamaki. Hikaru and Kaoru had originally designed the outfit for _her_ , but the King protested with all of his might, saying things like, 'My little girl will never wear something like this as long as I'm alive!' and 'Do you want the whole school to know Haruhi is a girl?' She thought he was being a bit overdramatic. But now, Mitsuru was the one being forced to wear it. Haruhi felt a little bad for not destroying the design in the first place.

The girl with the amber eyes was pouring some water into a kettle, unaware or uncaring of the spills that tainted the counter. She looked like a force of nature. Haruhi could almost hear the gears in her brain turning as she thought of ways to get back at Kyoya.

"He's not as bad as he seems," she offered.

Mitsuru didn't look convinced, "Yeah. He's worse."

 _Can't argue with that_ , Haruhi thought to herself, as she passed a tea bag to the thief.

"I just can't believe Hisako likes you guys. She usually has better judgement than this."

"Hisako is a nice girl," Haruhi stated, "I can see why you're friends with her."

"Everyone's friends with Hisako," Mitsuru huffed.

"So, have you thought of what surprise you're going to plan for her?"

The crook dropped a sugar cube into the cup in front of her with a sense of finality. She whipped around so quick that a few strands of hair fell down from her bun. It made her look a little unstable.

"I have an idea, but Kyoya won't allow it. So, I was hoping you could, um, help me."

Haruhi looked a bit taken back, "You want my help?"

"Yeah, don't let it go to your head. I just," Mitsuru suddenly let her hair down, and ran her fingers through it, "I just really want this to work out."

"Okay, so what is it?"

-:-

"We're almost there, just a few more steps, okay?"

"O-okay, don't let go of my hand!"

"I won't. I promise."

Hisako felt the feeling of a slight pressure on her back, leading her forward. Her foot met a ledge, and carefully, she took the step. When Mitsuru had told her that the surprise was ready, she hadn't felt more excited in a long time. Hisako was approached during club hours, with the promise that she was about to be amazed.

Then, the chestnut-haired girl had given her a silk blindfold, and with a sly smile, said, "Now, allow me to guide you."

It had been about ten minutes, and Hisako was wondering if they were going upstairs to the roof for some kind of firework show. It was daylight, but she had a feeling that it wouldn't matter.

She let out a small gasp when her hand was pulled forward to caress cold metal.

"Pull it," Mitsuru advised her, gently.

Hisako felt like her hands were shaking, but she didn't hesitate to yank the handle, feeling a kind of warm breeze hit her face. The scent of something savory hit her nose, and she felt Mitsuru untie her blindfold.

"Welcome, Princess Hisako!"

Her coffee eyes were stunned. She was surrounded by beautiful men, specifically those of the Host Club, and they were all dressed up for her! The room was decorated like a kind of jungle, with exotic plants she had only seen once or twice in her entire life. There were flowers with designs that would put the most distinguished fashion designer to shame. Speaking of fashion…

Everyone had robes of fine colors and textures, with their hair either pulled back or tucked away from their faces. Tamaki looked like a King, sitting on a kind of throne, with two large leaves sitting on either side of him. They appeared to be types of fans. Hisako wondered whose job it was to fan the host, but she didn't linger on it, for her eyes landed on Mori.

Blood rushed to her face. He was… shirtless! His bare chest was painted with a kind of red ink, marking him as some kind of predator. Hisako couldn't bring her eyes up past his chest. There was just enough of a hint of hip from beneath the kind of wrap he was wearing. Honey was akin to a little monkey, climbing up the tower that was Mori with ease. His body wasn't painted like Mori's, but he had a mark on his forehead that made him look like he could be royalty.

Hisako didn't even realize she was walking towards the pair until she saw her own hand reaching out for Mori's painted chest. She pulled her hand back, as if she was about to touch an open flame.

Chuckling, she murmured, "Y-you look amazing, Mori-senpai!"

"Thanks," was his nearly silent response.

"Hisako," Mitsuru grasped the girl's shoulders, "I reserved Mori-senpai for you all day, so you can sit and chat with him as much as you like."

"R-really?" the copper-haired girl tried to subtly whisper, but Honey giggled in response to her enthusiasm.

Her taller friend smiled, looking almost as pleased as Hisako felt, "Of course. Have fun, okay? I'll be here."

Mitsuru was walking away, preparing to go prepare some drinks, when Hisako grabbed her hands, with her head bowed.

"Hisako?"

"Mitsuru," the girl gazed up at her, seemingly about to cry, "Thank you so much!"

The junior tried to chuckle, but it came out wrong, "It's nothing. Just go have fun."

She watched as Hisako floated down into a chair near Mori and Honey, who instantly offered her something to eat. The girl looked like she was on Cloud 9. Mitsuru snuck away from the scene, and found herself in the prep room. The costume that she was supposed to wear ended up not fitting, but she wasn't complaining, and neither were the rest of the hosts. When she had tried it on, her breasts felt like they were swimming in loose fabric, and she felt entirely too exposed with her arms completely bare. Even the makeshift pants had been too tight in places. The Hitachiin brothers said something about recycling the outfit for someone else, but Mitsuru didn't care about what they had to say. She just felt sorry for whoever had to wear those goofy costumes.

The crook peeked out of the prep room at the girl with the pigtails. She was picking apart a strawberry tart, all while mesmerized by the shirtless Mori. Personally, Mitsuru was also pretty impressed by his muscles, but she didn't have time to gawk. He wasn't particularly fond of her either, so it was understood that he wouldn't appreciate her ogling at him.

Mitsuru sighed. She had told Hisako that it wasn't a big deal, but in reality, Haruhi had tugged a lot of strings for Kyoya to allow this to happen. The brunette host said something along the lines of increasing her debt, but Mitsuru didn't care. Hisako looked so happy.

"Hisako looks like she's having a good time, huh?"

Mitsuru met Haruhi's eyes, and tried to make herself seem casual, "Oh, well, yeah. She's always gushing about Mori-senpai."

"You're a good friend, Mitsuru," is all the host said before he went to his guests.

The rest of the day, Mitsuru tried to keep tabs on Hisako and Mori, ensuring nothing too physical happened, but the two simply sat stationary for an entire five hours. Hisako seemed to be doing most of the talking, waving her arms about as if describing a storm, and, though Mitsuru didn't think she could read Mori well, he looked content enough to listen to her stories. Hisako did have some strange ones, as her family worked in the field of animal science. She had told Mitsuru that there were once two tigers in her family's summer home, simply because there wasn't anywhere else to put them. Hisako had let one sleep in her bedroom, only to forget it was there in the morning, and wake with a shriek at the sight of it tearing up her curtains.

Mitsuru stifled a chuckle just at the thought of the scenario. It was hard to think of aristocrats having a fun side, but she supposed that Hisako was an exception.

"As pleased as I am to see you enjoying yourself, I can spot at least three tables with no beverages. Would you go remedy that, or would you prefer a different solution?"

The thief spun around with a hiss. Kyoya never seemed to stop following her every move, waiting for her to make a mistake. Despite not having moved from his place in the back, behind his glasses, his eyes seemed to be tracking her everywhere. Each time he addressed her, it was always with some kind of reference to the fact that he could end their arrangement at any moment. Mitsuru felt like a prisoner whenever he opened his mouth.

"Yeah, yeah," Mitsuru tried to flip him off discretely as she murmured, "Piss off."

One of these days, she was going to prove him completely wrong. He would come to her and get on his knees, saying things like 'I'm so sorry!' and 'Please forgive me!' Mitsuru let a sinister giggle emerge as she poured a few cups of tea. She liked the idea of him groveling before her. People with that kind of arrogance and pride got under her skin. For a split second, she thought to herself, 'Maybe it's because I'm like that, too,' but she let the idea float away with the scent of the herbal drink. She wasn't ever going to compare herself to Kyoya Ootori. He didn't deserve it.

-:-

* * *

Thanks so much to everyone who is now following this story! **[vriskaxmeenah, Era123, and Sensula]**

Also a big thank you to everyone who added this story as one of their favorites! **[vriskaxmeenah, miya ojousama, cocoasnb, Era123, Ilovekpop231, and thealitaylor]**

 **Reviewers -**

 **MayuMayu** (Guest) : I'm really glad you are enjoying the story so far. I have a lot of fun surprises in store, so I hope I can execute them properly. Sorry for not updating as quickly as I was planning... Sometimes life just gets in the way. I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

 **bored411** : Thanks for reviewing! I absolutely love it when people go from enemies to friends to lovers, so I plan on doing something similar to that, except very slowly. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

 **vriskaxmeenah** : Oh, wow! Thank you so much for sticking with this story! I am honestly so flattered! Aye-aye, ma'am! I plan on making her hate them for a while longer. This may just be me, but when there's a story where they just get along perfectly, I find it a bit... boring? That might just be me, though. I can't wait for you to see how Mitsuru changes over the next many chapters! Thanks so much for your kind words! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

It really brings me joy whenever someone follows, favorites, or reviews one of my stories. I am genuinely flattered by everyone who enjoys my work. I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter.


	5. She was Her Fairy Godmother

"Hi, Mitsuru," Haruhi greeted her.

Mitsuru looked up from her pot of tea. She looked a bit unnerved at being interrupted while practicing, but she gave the brunette host a nod in response and Haruhi took it as progress. Last week had been the girl's first day as a server for the Club. Hisako had instantly questioned the girl's motives, and, like some kind of silver-tongued snake, Mitsuru already had a lie prepared.

"Do you remember the first time you brought me here?" She had asked.

Hisako puts her hands on her hips, "Yeah, I remember. You didn't like it at all!"

"Correct. I was so rude to everyone. I'm so embarrassed of my behavior… I wanted a way to apologize, and I figured that words were not enough! I have offered up my service to them as an olive branch. I hope you can forgive me, too, Hisako."

Her stern position melted away, and Hisako leapt onto Mitsuru, wrapping her up in a hug, "Oh, of course I will! You're just too sweet! I'm sure you'll have so much fun working with the Host Club! In fact, I'm a little jealous! But from now on, I'll visit you, too, okay?"

At least there was peace on that front. In every other place, though, Mitsuru was raging war. She and the twins couldn't find common ground, and they butted heads. She seemed to have some kind of truce with Honey and Mori, but that didn't stop her from chewing them out every once in a while. Tamaki was fodder for the fire, encouraging everyone at the worst moments, especially when Kyoya was involved.

If the twins got on Mitsuru's nerves, Kyoya was stomping on them. The two of them were at each other's throats almost every two minutes. Haruhi thought that she would be losing her mind keeping the two apart, but Mitsuru seemed to catch on quick that there were more ways than direct confrontation to get under Kyoya's skin. When he wasn't watching, which was almost never, Mitsuru would do little things like put the spoons in the wrong drawer, or sprinkle some salt into the sugar jar. Haruhi never actually saw the thief commit these acts, but when she opened the silverware drawers only to find a complete mess, she had a slight idea of what was happening.

She didn't ever discourage Mitsuru by any means. That girl was an unstoppable force. Ever since Hisako started visiting even more often, she had put her entire being into making suitable drinks. The tea was getting saltier, but it tasted better whenever Kyoya was watching. The coffee was warming up people's hearts, and bringing them back for more.

Speaking of which, Haruhi looked over to Mitsuru's work. She was scooping in less sugar than usual. Haruhi imagined that perhaps even Mitsuru noticed the change in taste.

"He's going to catch on eventually," she finally pointed out.

Mitsuru didn't even flinch. If anything, she dumped some more sugar (salt?) in, for spite.

"Yeah, so? This is my little rebellion. Go away."

Haruhi crossed her arms, "We're all being incredibly patient with you, Mitsuru. Maybe you should try and grow up a little bit."

Mitsuru hissed at that, spinning around to face the host. He didn't look alarmed by her anger, but he was about to be. She was fuming.

"How dare you," she spat, "I may only be one year older than you, Haruhi, but I've seen more violence than you'll ever see in your life. I think I've done my share of growing up, and then some. So, get the fuck out of my face."

She didn't shove Haruhi because she didn't have the chance. The door to the prep room nearly bust open and Hisako's copper pigtails bounced in, unannounced.

"Are you so excited, Mitsuru? You finally get to experience a ball alongside the Host Club! Let's go buy new gowns- Oh, hello, Haruhi."

Hisako looked thrilled beyond bits, and she was holding a heavy-looking letter in her hands. Just from looking at it, Mitsuru could tell it was from Ouran. There was gold trim along the envelope, and it smelled like cinnamon from across the room (or maybe that was Hisako).

"Sorry to interrupt," the girl smiled, "but I just got my invitation in the mail!"

"Invitation? Where are you going?" Mitsuru questioned, nonchalantly pouring her pot of tea down the drain.

Hisako raised a brow, "I thought you would know, being with the Host Club and all. They're hosting the Christmas party in a few weeks."

"Oh, right!" Haruhi inched towards the door, "I better see how I should help prepare. Excuse me, ladies."

He stepped out, and Hisako offered her letter to Mitsuru. The paper felt more like parchment, thick with quality, and the message was handwritten with some kind of fountain ink pen. It was gorgeous.

"December 24th, five p.m., Central campus, large hall."

"They really go all out to make sure everyone has a fun time," Hisako sighed, "It's a shame that the football club reserved the West hall. I think that one has such a beautiful view of the gardens."

Mitsuru tried to contain her awe, but couldn't help but ask, "Central campus? Is there… more to the school than our buildings?"

"Yeah. You didn't know? There are some more buildings all over the city," Her companion looked a bit confused, as if it was common knowledge that Ouran practically owned the town.

She forced a chuckle, "O-oh, I just… I guess I only have classes on the Central campus."

"Me too!" Hisako giggled, too, "I only go to the East campus for the gardening club meetings. The greenhouses there are gigantic and perfect for tropical plants! Oh, and my astrology teacher mandates that we all make at least three trips to the observatory on the West campus."

Mitsuru almost fell down. This academy had everything! Greenhouses? An observatory? She had only read about these kinds of things in comic books and magazines. Sometimes she even forgot that she went to the school. She felt like such an outsider at times like these.

"That must be a bit of a pain: going to the other campus just for one teacher." The thief was trying to recover.

"Not really! I actually really enjoy the observatory. The microscope is so powerful that it feels like you can see all the stars in the sky at once."

Mitsuru wanted to go. She wanted to go so badly that she had to physically ground herself by gripping the marble countertops. This was the height of luxury! To be able to just go to an observatory at your high school was such an outrageous idea that Mitsuru had to taste it.

"Ah, but that's not the reason I came here!" Hisako leapt forward, grabbing Mitsuru's sleeve, "I wanted to ask you if you would help me with something."

"Of course. Anything I can do for you."

Hisako didn't say anything for a few seconds. She just stared at the ground with her face on fire. Her cheeks were aflame and the tips of her ears could've been mistaken for cherries.

"E-every year they have some kind of competition for the guests. Whoever wins gets to dance the last dance with the host of their choice. I-… I know it's against the rules to cheat! And I'm not going to ask you to cheat, but… if you could figure out what kind of competition it is, and tell me so I could practice… I might be able to dance the last dance with Mori-senpai!"

She spoke fast, like she had been holding in that speech for an entire semester, and she gasped for breath after she finished. Hisako's big eyes were gaping up at Mitsuru. They were swimming like two big lakes of chocolate, and the girl with the caramel hair felt like the world was on her chest. She couldn't say no to Hisako. There was no way!

"Oh, alright. I'll ask them." Mitsuru ruffled Hisako's hair, but she looked too pleased to even care.

"Thank you, Mitsuru! Thank you so much! You're the best!" The redhead wrapped Mitsuru up in a big hug.

Hesitantly, the thief hugged Hisako in return. The girl smelled like cinnamon and apples, something oddly specific and sweet. She had to leave to go to the gardening club soon after, but she waved good-bye to everyone as the doors to the Third Music room closed behind her. She was the nicest girl that Mitsuru had ever met. She was kind, caring, and the complete opposite of the thief. So that's why, when she approached the group of hosts, she was determined to help Hisako out.

"So, what part am I going to be playing in the Christmas party?" she tried to ask as indifferently as possible, but Kyoya still gave her a suspicious glare.

"I'm surprised you would even bring it up," he said, following his statement with the click of his pen.

Mitsuru's lip twitched, "Well, I am going to be working, aren't I? Better to know now than later."

"I suppose." Kyoya didn't sound convinced.

Haruhi, despite their spat earlier, looked pleased, "I don't know many of the details, but I bet we could use your skills, Mitsuru-san."

"Let's see… The band has been organized and paid. The banquet is planned, seating prepared for our guests. Hikaru and Kaoru are in charge of the casino. It seems I was so caught up in getting everything ready, I forgot to create some menial task for you to complete, Yamasaki-san."

Kyoya's words were like poison, and Mitsuru had a witty response (something along the lines of the Shadow King doing all the work no one cared about) but she was so intrigued by even the thought of the casino, that she ignored his comment, not without a glare, and inquired, "Casino? What does playing cards have to do with Christmas?"

If Kyoya was surprised that Mitsuru didn't snap at him, he didn't show it. "Every year, we have to create some kind of system of points so that our guests can compete for the final dance with their chosen host. This year, we are providing a casino. If you win one game, you receive one point and a prize. The group of ladies with the highest amount of points gets to choose one of us for the final dance. Excluding you, of course, Yamasaki-san."

Mitsuru deadpanned, "I didn't realize you were one of the options, Ootori-san."

"We're a group of incredibly handsome men, Kyoya included! He has a following, just like the rest of us!" Tamaki defended his friend.

"Oh, does he."

With a blank stare, the girl eyed Kyoya up and down, obviously so. He didn't look as unnerved as she had hoped, so when she was finished, Mitsuru just gave him an unimpressed face.

" _Anyways_ ," She turned away from him, hoping that he was seething with rage, and addressed the twins, "How are you two going to go out and mingle if you're dealing cards?"

The brothers looked at each other inquisitively, "We hadn't thought of that."

"Why don't you let me be in charge of the casino? I'm pretty good at cards."

Hikaru and Kaoru looked past her at Kyoya. Mitsuru peeked at him over her shoulder. Naturally, he looked incredibly skeptical. When he began to make the motion of shaking his head, she groaned and spun around to face him.

"This way, you don't have to pay for someone else to do it! And, you guys get more time with the guests, which will make everybody happy."

"Mitsu-chan has a great idea! This way Hika-chan and Kao-chan can have fun, too!" Honey chimed in, smiling widely.

Mitsuru pretended to pick at her nails, "And if I'm not working, who knows? I could be off making trouble for some of the guests or something. Not on purpose, obviously."

"It would be a greater profit to have the twins out on the floor," Kyoya spoke to his notebook, before snapping it shut and giving the girl with the chestnut hair a mysterious smile, "Alright. I'll indulge you this once, but I'll be there the entire time, and I'll know if you act up. So don't. Understood?"

His eerie grin set Mitsuru's skin on fire. He was also talking to her like she was just some kid! She scratched her wrist, thinking of some kind of witty response, and it was sitting on the tip of her tongue when she decided to just nod.

"You'll receive proper attire in the mail, as I'm sure you don't have anything suitable."

"Hey, what!" Mitsuru protested, finally, "That's not fair! I don't want some stupid outfit. I can just wear…"

She trailed off. She didn't actually know what she owned in her closet. There were surely some nice clothes she had stolen from outlet malls in the past, but she wasn't allowed to use them. Kyoya had no way of deciphering what she owned and what was stolen, yet she had a feeling he had sources of all sorts.

"That's what I thought." He smugly stated. He looked way too pleased with himself.

"Whatever it is, just make sure it has sleeves or a jacket or something. It's probably going to cold or something, right?"

"There's no need!" Tamaki stepped forward, swinging his arms so wide that both Kyoya and Mitsuru ducked to avoid being smacked, "The temperature will be adjusted flawlessly. Not too hot, not too cold… The perfect conditions for maidens to dance the night away."

"Regardless, I'm not going to wear something without sleeves."

"Do sleeveless clothes make you uncomfortable?" Haruhi asked.

Mitsuru sent him a sharp look, but didn't say anything. She was still angry about their chat earlier, it seemed. The brunette girl in disguise didn't let it get to her. If Mitsuru wanted to pout, then she would let her. Maybe the Christmas party would loosen her up. Haruhi didn't have a whole lot of experience with big parties, but she imagined that it was going to be a lot of fun for everyone involved, even including Mitsuru. It was possible that even the thief with the heart of ice would warm up to the hosts, though Haruhi imagined that was a process that was still ongoing, and would be for many semesters to come.

-:-

The parcel in the mail was something heavy. Mitsuru got it the weekend after Kyoya mentioned it. She thought he would have asked her for her measurements, or even her size, but he didn't mention it again after their discussion. In fact, they hadn't even spoken since then. Mitsuru was finding new ways to fight the Host Club, and she found that one of them was silence. It was difficult to keep all of her remarks to herself, and sometimes, she let a few slide if they were especially snarky, but she found that her hatred came through stronger this way.

Regardless of her relationship with the hosts, she had been anticipating the package. Aya and Teruko were waiting for her to open it since it arrived late in the afternoon.

"The box isn't even made of cardboard," said Teruko, amazed, "It's like, something I've never felt before! Kind of like wood, but not really."

"When you have that kind of money, I suppose you can do a lot of things." Aya chuckled to herself, like she had said something clever.

"Open it already, Yama-chan!"

The crook hesitated for a moment, before slicing it open with one of her three kitchen knives. It was dull, and it took some coercing, but the box eventually popped open, and a few foam peanuts shot out. They were golden colored, and it made all three of the women laugh because of how silly that was. The rich people had to differentiate even their foam peanuts from the poor's. What a world.

Reaching into the sea of soft gold, Mitsuru felt some fabric. It was so smooth that she wasn't entirely sure what the material was. She had been trained to realize something's value instantly through touch, and it took her a few extra moments of just rubbing her fingers over the unseen gift for her to realize that this was something way beyond her budget.

"Damn that Ootori punk," she muttered, pulling the clothes out, "Making me wear this shit."

Teruko gaped, "What are you calling shit! This is-!"

Stunning. It was absolutely stunning, whatever it was. There were three bolts of fabric, all shapeless and formless in Mitsuru's hands, and they felt heavy. There was cloth blacker than the night sky, one redder than blood, and another such a crisp white that it nearly blinded all three women. Without a model to wear it, Mitsuru wasn't entirely sure what it all was. It could've been a dress or a fancy potato sack for all she knew.

"Do try it on," Aya urged.

"Yeah, put it on, Yama-chan! I'll take some pics."

It was a suit. The white was a button down shirt, and its cuffs met Mitsuru's wrists with a snug embrace. The red was a kind of vest, decorated with a small scene of nearly invisible stitches. The black was a pencil skirt that encased her legs in a tight cocoon. On the backs of the vest and skirt, there were small decorative ribbons.

Mitsuru stared, flabbergasted, at her reflection. She could see Teruko's camera phone flashing at her, but she was still shocked. These were the nicest clothes she owned now. Was Kyoya so cruel that he would take them back after she wore them, or was he going to let her keep them? She didn't imagine he had a use for girl's clothing, but she also remembered that there was that random uniform the hosts had. Regardless, she wasn't going to let him take this away from her! She looked…

"Why, Mitsuru," Aya gasped, "You look splendid."

"Thank you, Aya-san." Mitsuru was whispering, as if not to frighten the woman in the mirror.

She'd never really dressed up like this before. She couldn't recall any times she would play in dresses as a child. She didn't much like to remember her childhood at all, in fact. But, she imagined that if her childhood self could see her right now, little Mitsuru would be just as floored as modern Mitsuru.

"Oh my gosh, you're gorgeous, but we've got to do something about that hair on the big day! Give me a few days, and I'll think of something super cute to do, okay?" Teruko snapped another picture with her phone, before glaring at the ratty bun on Mitsuru's head.

"You don't have to do that, Teru!"

"I know," Teruko winked, "I just want to. Come see me at least one hour before you leave for the party, okay?"

"Y-yeah. Okay. Thank you."

Aya grinned, "This party sounds like fun. Please try and enjoy yourself, Mitsuru."

"I-… I'll try, Aya-san."

-:-

"You don't have to worry, okay?"

Hisako looked so lost that she nearly fell off the stool she was standing on. Mitsuru held out a hand for support, which the redhead happily took, and she smiled cryptically.

"What? Worry? Worry about what?"

Mitsuru kept that strange grin on her face, "About the Christmas party. I promise that you'll get the last dance with Mori."

In her mind, the connection clicked, and Hisako blushed, "R-really? Thank you so much!"

"It's nothing, really."

It was everything. Mitsuru was learning how to cheat at cards faster than she was learning how to be a proper dealer. If she could tip the scales in Hisako's favor without Kyoya noticing, she would consider the night a complete success. However, if the Shadow King's watchful gaze caught her cheating, she could be in loads of trouble. In fact, she might be thrown in jail. Being discovered could be the final straw for Kyoya, and he would have his lapdogs on her in minutes. Her palms were sweaty just thinking about it.

"Mitsuru, what are you going to wear to the dance? I was thinking of wearing something blue, maybe grey."

"Oh," the thief helped Hisako step off the stool, "I'm just… wearing a uniform that Ootori-san sent me."

"What? You're not wearing a dress?" the redhead gaped, forgetting the book she had gone on the stool for in the first place.

"I know, I know," Mitsuru pretended to sigh deeply, "I was really looking forward to wearing some of my designer's latest work, but… I suppose it's easier this way."

"No, no, no! You have to dance at least once!" Hisako was shaking her head so violently that her pigtails nearly hit Mitsuru in the face.

The thief was about to claim that she could dance with her uniform on, but she recalled how tight the pencil skirt had been around her knees, and she kept her mouth shut. She doubted she could even walk swiftly, never mind dance!

"I'm sorry, Hisako, but the ball is this weekend and I… I don't have a gown prepared," Mitsuru stated.

"But you're my best friend! I can't just let you miss out on the biggest ball at the school!"

The teen with the chestnut hair was in awe. Ito Hisako and Yamasaki Mitsuru were best friends. It was such a giddy thought that she didn't know exactly what to say. A little squeak must've come out, because Hisako whined in response, cooing at Mitsuru to not cry. She shook her head firmly. There was no way she was going to cry. But she was incredibly overcome with joy by the fact that she did in fact, have a best friend.

"Oh, I have an idea!" Hisako exclaimed, so loudly that an exasperated voice shushed her from a few isles away.

She leaned in close to Mitsuru, whispering, "I'll let you borrow one of my gowns! I know it's a little weird, but it'll be fun. I can even pick out what color, if you want me to."

"That-… that would be great. Thank you, Hisako."

This was going to be her very first school dance, and if she knew anything about Hisako at all, she was going to wear a gorgeous designer gown. Mitsuru felt a bit giddy. She'd never been much of a dress up kind of girl, but this night was going to something spectacular. Her first school dance, her first gown, her first best friend! Perhaps she would actually have fun.

-:-

She completely forgot about Hisako's promise as the big day came rolling around. She was so overcome with stress that it was hard to think about anything other than cards. Mitsuru was an expert now, at cheating, and she was going over tricks in her head as she speedily pedaled her way back to Ouran. She didn't usually take her bike to the Academy, partly out of fear of her poorness being discovered, but she had to tonight. The ball was at five, and she was just barely going to slide in by four thirty. Teruko had taken forty-five minutes to do whatever she did to Mitsuru's hair. She had wrapped it all up in her black beanie after rolling it around tugging and pulling it in every direction.

After she crashed her bike into the maintenance shed of the groundkeepers, she sprinted all the way to the Central Campus. As she ran, she did something a little unorthodox. She yanked the outfit Kyoya had bought out of her backpack and put it on as she ran. She had changed into something simple and easy to maneuver around when Teruko was doing her hair. After she vaulted over a small hedge, she threw her tanktop into her backpack and switched it with the white top. She replaced her shorts with her skirt after she knew where she was. On any other occasion, she would have needed a map, but she just followed the noise, and found the large hall glowing like a beacon. There were nearly a thousand girls waiting outside of its large doors, counting down until five. Mitsuru slipped past their defenses, and found the Hosts gathered in the ballroom. It was gigantic, and horribly empty with just the lot of them.

There were tables lined up along the walls for the banquet, which was laid out on the opposite side of the room. The food was more dressed up than Mitsuru, which wasn't saying much because she was still pulling on her vest as she approached the hosts. She would never tell them, but they all looked rather handsome. She was hoping that she had changed her clothes expertly and appeared attractive as well, but she hardly had time to look at her reflection on the polished floor before Kyoya started talking at her.

"There you are, Yamasaki-san," He said, quickly and without looking up from his notebook, "Go and take a look at where you'll be stationed. Be sure to keep a tally on who wins the most games. The prizes will be handed out later, as I don't want you handling them. They're rather valuable and-"

Mitsuru rolled her eyes, "Yeah, yeah, I get it. Don't touch anything other than the cards."

"Actually, I was going to say that you need to fix your blouse."

Mitsuru's chin almost touched her chest as she looked down and realized with horror that she hadn't buttoned up the vest at all and white button up was just as nearly wide open. Only the bottom three buttons were actually buttoned correctly and the next two were halfway done. The top two were undone and she imagined that everyone had a good view of her plain, tan bra. She spun around swiftly on her heel to protect her dignity.

After fixing her buttons to the best of her ability, she faced Kyoya again. He appeared indifferent, as if he hadn't seen her bra and probably her pitiful breasts. Mitsuru reached up to fiddle with her bangs, something she hid behind often, but her hand met fabric. She had forgotten to take off her beanie! She tore the thing off and stuffed it into her backpack, which looked so odd paired with her new attire, and looked up at Kyoya's glasses.

Then, he did something awful. He looked her up and down, and said in the near exact mocking tone she had used, " _Anyways_ , it's nearly five, so let's open the doors."

Mitsuru felt her face boil. To have her own move used against her was so… humiliating. The other Hosts watched in shock as she simply waddled to her station, defeated. She stood and watched from afar as Tamaki did the honors of swinging the doors open to the first waiting ladies. The sound of the outside squeals washed into the building, and Mitsuru tried to lose herself in it.

She had someone equal to her own wits, and it almost embarrassed her. She hadn't seen her reflection yet, so she had a feeling that perhaps she looked horrendous. She had dressed while she was running! Her skirt could be on backwards! But it wouldn't matter. No one was looking at her anyways.

"Mitsuru! Mitsuru!"

She whipped her head towards her name, and saw Hisako. The girl was beautiful. Her copper hair was tied in a pretty knot on the top of her head, and her dress was a lavish royal blue. She looked like Cinderella. Mitsuru wondered if that made her the little mouse that followed the princess around.

But, when Hisako arrived at the casino table, and took Mitsuru's hands into her own, just to say, "Thank you, again," the thief felt like she was the fairy godmother more than anything.

She smiled at her best friend, "Like I said, it's nothing. Have fun, okay?"

-:-

Kyoya hadn't been lying about keeping a close eye on Mitsuru. He stood no further than ten feet away, watching her like a hawk. Hisako hadn't visited the table for a game, as the girl was off mingling, and Mitsuru knew she needed all the time she could to prepare for the perfect moment. Yet, she was still paranoid. How was she going to improve Hisako's score with Kyoya watching? His eyes were sharper than anyone else's, save her own. She tried to think of how she would fool herself, but she ended up just overworking her mind.

"You look tense," Haruhi said finally, resting at Mitsuru's station after a dance.

"Maybe it's because you're bothering me."

The brunette host gave her a look, and she sighed. Even her temper didn't have the same effect.

"I guess I'm just-" Mitsuru had barely gotten the words out of her mouth before a lady interrupted them.

"Kasugazaki-san," Haruhi nodded to her.

"Haruhi-kun! I've been looking for you. Would you please dance with me?"

The girl at the casino watched them approach the dancefloor. Everyone was dancing, having a wonderful time. The music was lively, and upbeat, and Mitsuru saw one of the twins nearly lose a girl in a hectic spin. It looked kind of fun. She felt a bit embarrassed at the realization, and snuck a glance at Kyoya, to see if he was jealous of the others as well. Much to her chagrin, he was talking with a group of three girls, all of which were dressed in extravagant colors. The ladies all giggled at the same time, and Kyoya had an odd smile on his face. As if he knew she was looking, he suddenly met her eyes, and she hurriedly looked back at Haruhi. The lady he was with, Kasugazaki, was standing next to the buffet table.

Haruhi must have said something strange, because Kasugazaki tripped, and knocked several plates onto the floor. It made a loud crash, and the brunette host kneeled down to help her clean up the mess. Mitsuru took the chance to scribble down five more lines next to Hisako's name, quick and careful. Not enough points that Hisako would win, but enough that she would have the final dance. As she finished, she looked at where Kyoya was, but he was gone, and the three girls he had talking with were on their way to her station.

Mitsuru took a moment to catch her breath, and smiled at them, "Welcome, ladies! Care to try your luck for some gorgeous prizes? If you win enough games, you may receive a kiss from the King himself."

They all three tittered and chatted amongst themselves as they played. The one in the purple was winning. Mitsuru, however, was looking past them and at the dancefloor. The music playing was generic and playful, and she saw lots of girls dancing with one another. Where were all the hosts?

It was an odd half hour of girls playing at the casino, waiting for their eye candy to return from wherever they went, until Hisako appeared, with all of the hosts except for Tamaki and Haruhi.

Honey called out from Mori's shoulders, "Let's all countdown for the lighting of the tree!"

In the midst of the ladies leaving the station to join the hosts at the tall, glass windows, Hisako swam against the crowd and grabbed Mitsuru's hand.

"Hey, wait!" The thief protested, "Ootori-san will be furious if he learns that I left in the middle of working."

Hisako winked, "You don't have to worry, okay? Come with me!"

Mitsuru almost tripped on the train of Hisako's blue dress, but managed to avoid it. She was led into the woman's lavatory, and tried not to pay too much attention to all of the luxuries. The mirrors were as tall as Mitsuru, and had golden trims. The soaps were shaped like little animals, and there were two maids standing by the door with hand towels. They nodded to the two ladies, then continued standing as still as statues.

"Go on!" Hisako pushed Mitsuru into the last stall, which could be better described as its own hotel.

There was a modest sofa tucked in the corner next to a shelf filled with books about how to maintain your health. The toilet had two cushions on it, and there was a long bag hanging from one of several hooks on the walls. Mitsuru recognized instantly what it was, and turned around to see that Hisako was closing the door with another wink. The door clicked with finality, and the dress and the thief stared at one another.

Mitsuru ran her hand over the bag containing the gown. There was a designer's logo on the bottom, and the fabric was so thick that it could've been an insulator. She found the zipper and pulled it. The dress popped out of the bag, unfolding itself like a gigantic present. It spilled onto Mitsuru's hands, and she couldn't help but put it on.

She unbuckled the plain black pumps she borrowed from Aya, who said her granddaughter left them many years ago. She peeled off her dull white stockings that she owned since middle school. Only after she had folded up her gifted clothes and set them aside, did she truly gaze at the gown Hisako lent her.

The skirt was a rich red, deep and akin to blood. The fabric was strong and light, and Mitsuru kept pulling it from the bag, shocked when there was more. The top of the gown was a golden lace, opaque and see-through in different areas. The best part was the long sleeves.

"Thank you, Hisako. For finding one with sleeves."

"No problem! Just be quick about it! You've only got about ten minutes until the final dance!"

Mitsuru blanched, "Ten minutes?"

"That's right! Do you want any help?"

"No! I got it!"

Mitsuru dove into the dress, and contorted herself hurriedly to button up the back. It was tight, fitting her nearly like a glove. There was a point where she couldn't quite pull up the skirt anymore, and she feared for a few seconds that she would have to give up, but the fabric gave, and the dress and her seemingly became one. She was nearly sweating by the time she opened the door to see Hisako's face, which was aglow.

"Wow, Mitsuru! You look amazing!"

"Do I?" She asked, earnestly.

Instead of responding, Hisako led her best friend to one of the tall mirrors. In it, there were two women. One was Hisako, and the other was a complete stranger. She liked complimenting herself on her skills, like how great she was at stealing, or sneaking, or gymnastics. Her appearance hardly ever garnered a lot of attention, which was perfectly fine with her, but even she had to admit that she was taken back by how attractive she looked.

Her bangs were tucked away, leaving a few strands around her ears and amber eyes. The rest of her locks were braided, loose and down her back. The sleeves were opaque, but the space between her breasts wasn't. She looked like a beautiful lady. Mitsuru twisted her foot, back in the plain black pumps but hidden beneath the gown, into the ground. That was her, wasn't it? As Hisako reached into her clutch for some lipstick, Mitsuru grabbed her hands.

"Thank you so much."

"You're welcome," she rubbed a smooth stick of blood red across the thief's mouth, "Now, let's go dance, okay?"

-:-

The pair walked into the ballroom, and saw that everyone was watching the tree outside, which was now aglow. There was a couple outside, smiling and laughing together. Mitsuru wondered what had happened, but she didn't get an answer. Instead, as Hisako led her to where the hosts were gathered, she got a question.

Haruhi was sitting on a chair with ice on his foot, and the others turned away from him to questioningly stare at Mitsuru.

One of the twins stepped forward and pointed at her, "Is this Mitsuru?"

She snickered, "Obviously! Who else could it be?"

Now both of the Hitachiin brothers circled around her, like sharks, until finally they both shook their heads, saying, "Impossible."

"You idiots!" The teen smacked them both, chasing them with her fists balled.

"You look lovely, Mitsuru-san."

She considered Haruhi for a moment, thinking about when they had argued the many weeks ago, and decided to smile back at the injured host, "Thank you, Haruhi. It's all thanks to Hisako."

"It's nothing, really!" the redhead in question giggled and pretended to fan herself with her hand, "I just wanted to make sure Mitsuru had a fun Christmas Eve, too!"

"Mitsu-chan, Hisa-chan! Listen!" the two girls stopped their chatting and gave Honey their attention.

The band was picking up again, and the maestro took a moment to address the crowd. He had a piece of paper in his hand, and Mitsuru recognized it as the sheet that she used to tally everyone's scores.

He cleared his throat before saying, "This is the final waltz. Will the following ladies please pick your gentleman of choice for the last dance: Suzuki Airi, Nakamaru Eiko, Watanabe Chou, Ito Hisako and Inoue Miyako."

The redhead sent Mitsuru a tearful look, and the girl with the chestnut hair gave her a thumbs-up. She watched as Hisako mentally prepared herself to approach Mori, but it seemed that he already had a clue as to what was going to happen.

"Hisako," he spoke so gently, like he was scared even his words could crush the girl in blue, "Would you care to dance?"

She stumbled, falling over herself to respond with an enthusiastic, "O-of course, Mori-senpai! I'd be honored!"

Mitsuru sat down at the casino and watched the two begin to dance. It was just like in Cinderella, when the prince picks the lady out of the crowd, dancing with her all evening. They looked happy. Mori was nodding to whatever Hisako was babbling, and their feet didn't collide once. After all the stress of learning how to cheat at cards, how to make sure the girls who were also loyal to Mori didn't win, and how to sneak past an Ootori, Mitsuru thought to herself that it was all worth it to see Hisako with Mori.

"Mitsu-chan!" The thief snapped out of her daze to meet Honey's innocent gaze.

"Uh," she pointed at herself, "Me?"

"Yes! Come dance with me!"

" _What_?"

She didn't have much of a choice. The little host grabbed her hands and spun her onto the dance floor with such vigor and little tact, that she felt dizzy after a few seconds. Honey was so much short than her that she nearly had to kneel down to dance properly. There was a change in the music, and suddenly Honey span out of her reach.

"Uh, Honey-senpai?" Mitsuru was about to go after him, but it must have been a part of the dance because someone took her hand and spun her in a wide circle until she was face to face with Kyoya.

"The steps are simple. Just follow my lead and… try not to step on me." He explained, condescendingly.

The thief tried to not get offended, but she ended up stomping down near one of his shiny black shoes.

Mitsuru smirked up at Kyoya's glasses, painfully aware of the lack of space between the two of them, "Oops."

"Accidents happen," he spoke in the same tone she did, cryptic and knowing, and then, he spun her out away from him, and she nearly fell, had it not been for his tight grip on her hand.

When she returned with another twirl, and Kyoya settled his hand on the small of her back, he looked pleased with himself.

"You know, Ootori-san," they were close enough that she could talk low, and no one else would hear, "This isn't the worst party I've been to."

"Thank you. Though I imagine that this is the only party you've been to. Or rather, invited to."

Mitsuru snorted and almost touched his chin with her nose, "Ha! Maybe, maybe not."

They settled in silence for a moment, before there was a change in tempo, and Mitsuru thought she was going to change partners, but Kyoya ended up spinning her again in a small circle, considerably more careful than before.

"Since you worked so diligently," he was talking close to her ear, making her shiver, "I imagine that your debt to us will be a bit smaller."

"Well, isn't that swell." Mitsuru sighed. She wasn't going to be free of the Host Club for a great number of years to come.

"I imagine the labor you provided may even be enough cover the cost of the uniform I sent you."

The thief pulled back to glare at Kyoya's glasses, and huffed, "You bastard. Of course there was a catch."

"Of course. But don't worry. You'll have plenty of time to repay me."

"Probably the rest of my life," mumbled Mitsuru.

Kyoya seemed to find what she said amusing, because she heard him chuckle, and she thought that it was a nice sound before she could stop herself.

"Ito-san did a good job."

As the closest thing to a compliment she might ever receive from him, Mitsuru was flattered, and laughed off her embarrassment, "Thank you. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone that you said something almost nice to me."

"How considerate."

"Yeah, well, you know, you don't look too terrible, either."

He must've been surprised by what she said, as well, because they didn't say anything for a while. Mitsuru spent that time watching the other hosts dancing. She could see Hikaru and Kaoru both dancing with two different girls. She wondered absentmindedly if they would even notice if the twins had traded places beforehand. Judging by how dazed and in awe they looked, she had her answer. Mori and Hisako must've traded partners because she was twirling with Honey, carefree and laughing. Tamaki was dancing with another girl, holding her like she was only woman alive.

"Hey, wait a second. What happened to the girl who chose you, Ootori-san?"

"She had to get ready for her big moment. She had the most scores, so she gets a kiss from Tamaki, though I imagine there might be a few changes."

"How so?"

"I think Haruhi will be our King tonight. He did injure himself after all, and was unable to dance."

Mitsuru looked over at the host in question and he must have been looking at her, because he turned away quick, pretending to whistle. She decided to discreetly send him an obscene gesture and he must've seen it, and think it was funny because he laughed before watching continuing to watch someone else.

The music came to a stop, and she watched as all the other pairs dispersed after the Host kissed their partner's hand. The girls looked like they were on cloud nine, floating back to their friends. Mitsuru noticed that Kyoya had her hand in his, prepared to do the same, and she tugged it away. He looked at her with a questioning look, as if she was the weird one.

"Can't we just shake hands?" She offered.

Even before she said it aloud, she felt dumb. He chuckled at her, just like earlier, and her face was hot with embarrassment. But then, he reached out his hand. She looked at his eyes, behind his glasses, and saw that he wasn't even trying to make fun of her. They shook hands, rather cordially, and they walked off the dancefloor.

The kiss went just as it hadn't been planned. Haruhi kissed Inoue Miyako, and the crowd of girls went completely insane. During their ruckus, as the party seeped outside, Mitsuru snuck back to the bathroom and changed into the clothes she had brought. She stared at the dress in its bag and gave it a soft pat as she zipped it up. It was a gorgeous gown. She had looked like a princess. She wouldn't admit it aloud, but dancing had made her feel like a princess, too.

But now, the spell was over. She pulled on her running shorts and her tanktop. Then, she remembered, and she tugged on the long-sleeved white button up that was apparently hers now. Her reflection looked silly, with a pair of ugly green and purple shorts, an expensive blouse and a small pair of black pumps, but she snuck out of the large hall without anyone seeing her, and pedaled home under the light of the stars.

* * *

 **Author's Note**

Thanks to everyone who is now following this story! **Alnitak8, Rae10021316, . , SouthernCharmer17, and NarutoFallenAngel123**

Also a big thank you everyone who added this story (or me!) to their favorites! **MyNameIsLaura, Ishikarei, Lenaonyx, BriaDelAngel, Alnitak8, . , and SouthernCharmer17**

 **Reviewers:**

 **bored411:** Here's the next chapter! Very late, but better late than never? I think this might be one of the few times where Mitsuru just enjoys herself. I hope you enjoy this chapter! Love reading your reviews.

 **No One:** Thank you so much! I think my biggest pet peeve when reading fanfiction is feeling like the characters aren't true to themselves, so that is such a big compliment! Thank you! I know I'm not fast in updating, but I am trying to do better! Also, lol yeah no I wasn't offending by your name but it is super sweet that you added that just in case I did get offended. Thanks for the review! Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

It really brings me joy whenever someone follows, favorites, or reviews one of my stories. I am genuinely flattered by everyone who enjoys my work. I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter! Also, I'm basing most of the events of the series off of the MANGA and not the ANIME, so things may seem a little different than what you may be used to.


	6. Snake In The Grass

Kyoya had a bit of trust in Mitsuru now, and it took the form of a small digital camera. He gave it to her when they returned from Winter Break, and she held it in her hands like it was a mouse trap.

"What's this for?" She asked.

"Pictures, of course."

Mitsuru pretended to laugh, "Very funny, jackass. I mean, why did you give it to me?"

"I want you to take daily pictures of the Host Club."

Kyoya tried hard to glare at Mitsuru after the bright flash of light in his face, but he had difficulty focusing his vision. The brunette was cackling to herself behind the camera's lens, and she looked at the picture she had taken. It was just her thumb. She deleted it hurriedly and sheepishly.

"It's not a toy for you to play with," said the Shadow King, who adjusted his glasses in an attempt to recover, "If you break it, you'll be compensating me."

"Yeah, obviously!" Mitsuru rolled her eyes.

She was a lot more open about her distrust of him, but it wasn't nearly as hateful as before. She was a fly caught in his web, but their relationship had transformed a bit after the Christmas Party. Their unconcealed animosity had evolved into something less obvious. Instead of abhorring each other, they both went out of the way to make the other's life a little more miserable. Hence, Mitsuru's job during the spring flower viewing.

The best part of spring, in Mitsuru's opinion, was that the walk to and from school was more enjoyable. Instead of being frigid in the winter or drenched in sweat in the summer, she could saunter home at a leisurely pace and enjoy the view. The sights this year were more incredible at school than anywhere else.

The Host Club rented out the school's cherry blossom garden, and set up a tea party. The tables and chairs had been a pain to set up, and Mitsuru knew that her muscles were going to sore later, but it was worth it to watch the blossoms contrast against the blue sky. It was the absolute perfect day for watching the flowers. It was hardly something that Mitsuru was pleased about, though. Kyoya had debriefed her earlier about what her job was during this beautiful viewing.

"This time, you won't be serving tea at all. We'll be providing that service as a special event. So today, you'll be picking up all the dirty dishes and washing them afterwards."

His smile was incredibly sinister, and Mitsuru didn't try to hide her glare, "Wow, what an honor."

"Try to resist the urge to steal anything. That set of china is worth eight hundred thousand yen."

"Yeah, okay, oops!" The thief dropped one of the cups into her awaiting palm.

When she looked up at Kyoya, he did not look amused, which just fueled Mitsuru to try it again, a longer distance for the cup to fall. It bounced out of her palm this time, and fell onto the ground. Her heart stopped as it hit the grass, and she dove upon it, to check for cracks. When she didn't find one, she set it back on the table. This time, the Shadow King looked entertained and smug. Mitsuru stuck her tongue out at him when she thought he wasn't looking.

She was told to "stand off to the side and look useful." Mitsuru interpreted that as people watching. She settled on watching Honey, who was wearing a particularly colorful kimono. She was a bit jealous. She and the other half of the hosts were dressed in white and black suits, suitable of servers. Mitsuru wouldn't have minded a kimono at all. They were stunning, even more so now that she knew she didn't have to pay for them.

When she had received the costume, she didn't accept it. She shoved the wrapped package back to the Hitachiin brothers, who looked perturbed by her actions.

"I know what you're trying to do," she scowled, "You're going to saddle me with a dumb outfit that I have to pay for! Well, no thanks. I'd rather just wear my uniform."

"What is she talking about?" one of the twins inquired of the other.

"I think she's finally lost her mind," his brother replied.

"Stop being rude, Hikaru!" Haruhi appeared just in time, his own heavy costume in his arms, "Mitsuru, don't worry about it. If we had to pay for these outfits, I wouldn't wear them. They're free, as long as we don't take them home."

She eyed Kyoya, hesitantly reaching out for the Hitachiin twin's bundle of cloth, "Is that true?"

The Shadow King gave her a nod, and she took the package. It fit her like a glove. There was still the mystery of how and where these people got her measurements, but Mitsuru decided to disregard that for now.

Currently, she was also ignoring the fact that the photos she had taken sprinkled throughout the last few weeks were now on sale in a thick album. And she wasn't receiving any of the profit! They were being sold by the handful, and Kyoya looked like an evil villain taking all of the ladies' money.

"Beauty is as vain as these blossoms. You'll never see the same shape for two days, which is why I made this photo album to capture such day to day beauty. By the way, we sell an individual or group version for fifteen thousand yen. We also have a set price."

"No wonder he's the storeowner," muttered one of the twins in awe.

Mitsuru shrugged, "I suppose it is kind of impressive. But, I would never spend that much money on an album."

The twin with his hair parted on the left (perhaps Hikaru?) snickered, "Well, that's probably because you're poor, Mitsuru-senpai."

A swift punch to the shoulder shut him up quickly, and Mitsuru was back to collecting priceless cups and plates. Things were starting to slow down, and she had almost picked up everything, when she saw Tamaki sulking. He was almost always upset whenever the twins had any free time at all, and this time, he sent Mitsuru some sad eyes.

"Mommy," Tamaki called out, entirely seriously.

There was a heavy pause, as Mitsuru legitimately dropped a cup, watching it bounce harmlessly on the ground, and looked around the garden. The twins were busy pestering Haruhi, Honey was on Mori's shoulders, trying to pick some of the blossoms, and Kyoya stood nearby, scribbling in his notebook. Who in the world could he be referring to?

"Yes, Daddy?"

Her neck almost snapped. She twisted around to look at the Shadow King (Queen?) so quickly, and she couldn't believe the look of resigned acceptance on Kyoya's face. It was… it was…

"AHAHAHAHA!" Mitsuru couldn't help it. Her gut felt like it was splitting open at how funny this situation was. Kyoya would respond to _that_? There was no way in hell she would ever forget this.

"What's so funny?" Tamaki whimpered, "The Host Club is a family, and my precious daughter is being taken away from me!"

The thief was trying too hard to stop laughing to notice Kyoya scold Tamaki, reminding him of Haruhi's hidden identity.

When she recovered, Mitsuru wiped a tear away from her eye, "Oh gosh. That's too funny. Okay, so Kyoya is the mommy, and Tamaki, you're the daddy. So, what am I?"

The two boys took a moment to consider her, and then Kyoya, with a genuinely amused smile, said, "Our dog."

-:-

Mitsuru was scrubbing cups, and granted, the clanking of dishes was loud, but it couldn't block out the news of the physical examination. It was only the next day that, as the club hours came to a close, she asked about it. Unbeknownst to her, the club was in a bit of a frenzy trying to figure out how to conceal Haruhi's identity, thus was quite anxious themselves to even discuss it.

"The physical exam? It's practically a formality."

Mitsuru was trying hard to hide her worry from Kyoya, who was scribbling away in his notebook. When Hisako had told her that he was in the medical committee, and his family had a hand in the hospital business, she knew that he was her only option. If any of the Ouran doctors saw what she was hiding, she could be expelled.

"Does the exam require any, um, disrobing?" She felt silly even asking, and she kind of already knew her answer, but she had to hear it from him to be sure.

Kyoya stopped writing, and looked at her questioningly, "Of course. It's mostly for show, but it is still a physical. The doctors will take your measurements, and the whole process is over in around ten minutes."

"Oh, haha, I mean, yeah, obviously, but my question is, how private is the whole… situation?"

She had his attention, whether or not that was a good thing, and the Shadow King explained, "There's no crossing between the male and female students, if that's what you're asking. You'll be with fellow girls."

"Oh no. So, I'll still be… with other people… without my shirt on."

"I imagine so. I wouldn't have thought of you as a shy person, Yamasaki-san."

Mitsuru glared harshly at Kyoya, "This isn't a matter of being 'shy'! This is a matter of my continued education!"

"What could be so horrible?" He inquired, "You look healthy enough."

"I have-!" She slapped her own hand over her mouth. She almost spilled her secret (one of many). Kyoya would be the smuggest bastard if he found out!

He was looking at her expectantly, but she simply huffed and turned away, "Forget it!"

The Shadow King watched her storm into the prep room, and wrote down in his notebook, 'Keep an eye on Yamasaki Mitsuru during the physical exam' in the margin. He didn't plan on forgetting her strange behavior any time soon.

-:-

"Yamasaki-sama and Yuri-sama, you two can use this dressing room to undress! We'll begin the auscultation and chest measurement when you're finished."

Mitsuru had been dreading this day since she learned about it. She and a girl she had only seen once during class, walked into the classroom-turned-doctor's office, and acknowledged a lovely female doctor. She motioned to a curtained-off section of the room, and suddenly, it was just the two students. Yuri Aria, a rich girl with average looks, was already down to her underwear when she turned and saw that Mitsuru was shaking.

"What's wrong, Yamasaki-san?" She asked, "Are you feeling ill?"

"No!"

She didn't mean to be loud. The look on Aria's face was alarmed, and Mitsuru tried to smooth it over with a hesitant smile. It didn't work.

"I'm sorry, I just-" She took a breath, and found that it was wavering, "I get quite uncomfortable when I'm removing clothes… I'll… I'll just take another minute."

Aria nodded, still looking a bit scared, and stepped out of the curtained area. When Mitsuru heard the student and the doctor discussing the exam, she fell to her knees. This was impossible. She should've just asked for Kyoya's help, but she let her stupid pride get in the way! Now, she was stuck. Sooner or later she was going to have to show that doctor, and that doctor would tell the principal, and the principal would expel her. Then, her uncle would find out, and she would have to move away to live with him. That would mean she wouldn't be able to do what she came to Ouran to do. She would fail! All of the years leading up to her going to this school would be wasted and she would –

"Yamasaki-sama, are you alright?" The doctor poked her head into the dressing room and Mitsuru unwillingly shrieked in terror.

"Um, I-… I'm okay! I'm just… I get kind of nervous and self-conscious about this kind of thing, hahaha."

The older woman didn't look convinced, "Well, take your time. I've done this a thousand times before. There's nothing you can do that will surprise me."

 _You have no idea, lady,_ Mitsuru thought to herself before saying, "O-of course! I'll just… be a few more minutes."

There was a clock on the wall and it was ticking away, like it was counting down until a bomb exploded. Mitsuru would've preferred that over a physical exam. She didn't have time to prepare, and she didn't even know how she would have prepared in the first place. A body double? Not believable. Fake doctor's papers? She had already done that in the past, and it almost hadn't worked.

Yuri Aria must've already finished the examination because the outside area was suddenly still, and Mitsuru could only hear the clicking of the doctor's pen, the arms of the clock ticking, and her own pounding heart. This wasn't going to work. She peeked out of the curtain and saw the doctor writing some notes. There was a window next to the desk. If she was bold, and she ran, maybe she could jump out of the window and die.

No, that wasn't going to solve anything. She just needed to... What was it that she could do? Would this solitary doctor understand? Would this woman, who was only seen the rich, beautiful, porcelain bodies of girls who have never been where Mitsuru has been, understand? It was unlikely. It was so unlikely that Mitsuru was beginning to edge towards the window.

She must've made a noise, because the doctor looked up at her and sighed, "Yamasaki-sama, I understand that you're nervous, but you really must get undressed. This will go by so quickly, you'll feel silly afterwards!"

"Um, are you sure there isn't any way I could just… keep my dress on?" Mitsuru looked out the window as she spoke.

"I'm afraid not," the doctor reassured, "Listen, you've been in there stalling for about twenty minutes. The exam could've been over ten minutes ago! Now, go on ahead."

Mitsuru couldn't think of anything to say in response, so she just shook her head and stepped back into the dressing are. This wasn't going to happen. The window had been so close. She tried unbuttoning the cuffs of her sleeves, and her hands were nearly vibrating, so it didn't work. Instead, she pulled on the bow around her collar and placed it neatly on a small table. It took her a while since her hands were so sweaty, and they still shook like she was freezing cold, but she felt like she was on fire. All of this stress was going to make her have a heart attack.

Another five minutes must've gone by because the doctor scratched on the curtain, "Do you want me to call your parents or something? Perhaps you might feel safer with your mom in the room? A nanny, even?"

"What? NO! I mean, I'm sorry, please don't." Mitsuru yelled, and she hadn't meant to, but the walls felt like they were caving in on her. She put her arms out as if to brace against them.

"I'm… I'm coming out soon."

It was Mitsuru's voice, but she couldn't believe what she was saying. Was she really going to show this doctor one of her most hidden secrets? When she saw that she was able to unbutton her cuffs, she realized that she must have made a decision. She eased out of her uniform and hung it up. It looked like a skin she was shedding, but she would have given anything to slip it back on. There were no reflexive surfaces in the dressing room, which was rather thoughtless of the medical committee, so Mitsuru had to rely on what she knew. She was wearing black boy shorts and a dingy green bra that she'd owned since middle school.

Her knees buckled when she approached the curtain, and poked only her head out to ask, "C-could you perhaps close your eyes?"

"Yamasaki-sama, please. It's nearly been forty-five minutes."

"I-… I understand."

She closed her eyes tightly, and stepped out. It was quiet, like the doctor had just disappeared, but Mitsuru heard a sharp intake of breath, and she knew that this woman wasn't the one doctor in the whole school who was going to help Mitsuru. She opened her amber eyes and saw that the woman was halfway to the door.

"Wait! Please, don't!" She felt scared, a primal fear that hadn't gripped her since she faced the idea of imprisonment, and she reached out to the doctor.

"I'm going to have a long talk with the head doctor, young lady!" said the woman, and she tugged open the door.

It closed behind the woman. Mitsuru instinctively covered her chest with her arms, curling in upon herself. Her gut felt heavy, and she had the awful realization that she was entirely alone. Both physically and emotionally, she only had herself. She took a moment to look around the classroom. The desks were gone, making room for some random medical equipment, but it was still a classroom. This was going to be her last time in one at Ouran. That woman was going to go to the head doctor and the domino effect would begin.

When the door opened up again, Mitsuru was back in the curtained area, her dress halfway on. She didn't even think of it not being the doctor who previously left, so she bust out of the dressing room.

"I can explain, just please don't expel me!"

"Actually, I think your explanation will have to wait."

"What?" Mitsuru gawked at Kyoya with her mouth agape, surprised that he had entered the doctor's room without even knocking, that the woman who had just run out was behind him, staring at him with respect and fear, and that he was looking at her.

She could never get married now. She was practically naked. Rather than being horrified at the idea of him seeing her bra, Mitsuru was more appalled at the thought of him seeing her arms.

From her shoulders to her wrists, there were markings. Some were scars, twisted and ugly signs of damage. Others were tattoos, ink embedded in young flesh identifying her as someone who should have never gotten into Ouran in the first place. There was a twisting dragon around her right arm, with its blithe tongue ending at her wrist. There was a scene of two children holding each other's hands. There was a serpent swallowing a dagger between the dragon's humps, a rosebud with no petals on her left forearm, a fish swimming down her shoulder, and what seemed like a hundred more little images. More noticeably were the scars. Stripes like a tiger's scratch went from her collarbone to her left shoulder. There was a place where she had been burnt on her right elbow. Then, near her wrist, was a mark like the kanji for 'Ta', but incomplete.

Kyoya didn't look at her for very long. He saw her arms, and then turned to the doctor.

"My family owns the hospital you work at," the Shadow King was talking, but Mitsuru wasn't listening, unsure of what to cover, "Thus, I believe that if you value your job, ma'am, you'll respect this student's privacy, and continue on with the exam."

"I-!" The doctor looked between the two students, feeling embarrassed and outplayed, "I understand, Ootori-sama. I will continue the examination and not include the… gruesome details."

"To ensure that, I will read over your report afterwards. Yamasaki-san," he didn't look at her, but he gestured in her direction, "I'll be waiting outside."

"Y-yeah."

The two woman were dead quiet. The cold metal of the doctor's stethoscope reminded Mitsuru she wasn't dreaming. One of her more sensitive secrets had just been revealed to the one person in the whole school who might rat her out.

"How did he…?" Mitsuru began to form her question, finally cracking under the pressure of her own curiosity. She wasn't entirely sure what she was trying to ask, but the woman seemed to understand.

The doctor took a moment to answer, writing down a number on a form, "I was going to my supervisor, but I ran into Ootori-sama. I know that his family owns the company, so I informed him of the situation. He told me to take him to the offending student, so I did."

Mitsuru wanted to ask why Kyoya would help her, but she didn't think that this doctor would know the inner workings of the student's mind. The exam, true to the doctor's word, took ten minutes, and also true to the doctor's word, Mitsuru felt silly. The woman left, and spoke in hushed tones with Kyoya outside the door. Then, it was quiet, and the thief got dressed and cracked open the classroom door.

The Shadow King was there, as he said he would be, and he appeared calm. Mitsuru wanted to ask him so badly why he was willing to help her, why he wanted to use his privilege to her advantage, so she did.

"If you were expelled, you'd have no way of repaying your debt to me."

Mitsuru tried to hide her disappointment. Figures that his only reason for keeping her around was for her labor.

"Well, regardless of why," she twisted her bangs, not meeting his eyes, "I want to thank you."

"Your thanks can come in the form on your explanation."

"What do you want from me? My life's story? That way, when I'm finished, we can be best friends and braid each other's hair?" Mitsuru couldn't help but get angry. She never understood what Kyoya wanted, especially right now.

"Just tell me what I need to know. I won't pry for the details. I just need to know," he leaned in close as a couple of students passed by, whispering behind their hands, "Are you still working for the Dragons?"

Instinctively, the thief put her hand over her right arm, almost feeling the ink burn underneath her sleeve.

"I'm surprised that you keep up with the locals, Ootori-san. I would've thought that we… no, _they_ were too far beneath you."

The two of them watched the group of students disappear around a corner, and then Kyoya responded, "Would you ignore a threat, no matter how little?"

Mitsuru and he made intense and calculating eye contact for a solid fifteen seconds (she counted) before she snickered and relaxed, leaning back against the wall behind her, "Don't worry; they were never stupid enough to even think about stealing from the Ootori's. Still stupid, though. I left them last year. They've been looking for a replacement ever since."

"What work did you do for them exactly?"

The thief smirked, "This is beginning to feel more like an interrogation than a friendly chat."

"Answer the question, Yamasaki-san," Kyoya crossed his arms over his chest.

"I stole for them, obviously. Then, I stopped."

"I imagine they didn't take your resignation well?"

He was looking at where her more prominent scars were. Mitsuru turned her body away from him.

"I'm still alive, aren't I?" She said softly.

"Yes, I suppose you are." Kyoya took the hint. "I read the report that doctor turned in, and you should be in the clear. I've also ensured that she won't tell anyone about your situation."

He escorted her back to her homeroom in silence. She wanted to thank him again, but she kept finding it difficult to speak. It was a surreal thought that Kyoya knew about the Dragons. When they were outside of her classroom, Mitsuru finally figured out what to say.

"You know, you're still not my favorite person in this place," she was smiling, but not mocking him in her usual manner, "But you've definitely gone up a few ranks. Thanks for helping me out, _Kyoya_."

As she twirled back around and went to class, she also decided that she rather enjoyed the face that the Shadow King made when he was surprised.

-:-

Kyoya didn't mention her tattoos to her for another few months. It was getting hotter, and she was finding it more difficult to wear longer sleeves when he called her over after club hours. Mitsuru ripped some rubber gloves off, setting them next to the sink, and was smoothing down her skirt when she approached him.

"You rang?"

He closed his notebook, the sudden noise making her meet his eye, "Do you have any long-sleeved summer clothes?"

"Those wouldn't be summer clothes, would they? Why do you ask?" She raised a brow at him.

"The Host Club is going to the East Sea. Our regulars are staying in a hotel nearby and we're continuing our usual services. The change in setting allows for some new business opportunities, don't you agree?"

Mitsuru knew where he was going, but she hoped to steer him off course, "Yes, I'm sure you all will make a lot of money. Us normal poor people on the other hand, have to work summer jobs."

The Shadow King may as well have laughed in her face, but instead, he smirked, "What makes you think you won't be getting paid? It'll all go towards your debt, of course."

"The East Sea, Kyoya? Really?' Mitsuru pinched the bridge of her nose, "Do you think I have some kind of secret stash of money? How the hell am I going to afford this?"

"I can lend you some, with interest, of course." He was still smiling, like he was enjoying torturing her, which he probably was.

"I'm not falling for that and I'm not going. Find someone else to be your summer slave."

"Consider it overtime. Your hourly rate will double."

It wasn't recommended, or possible to refuse his request, but Mitsuru was pretty decent at doing what could be considered impossible.

"What good is that going to do me?" She pointed a finger at Kyoya's chest, like it was a knife, "I still have to pay for the damn trip anyways! I won't be able to pay rent or tuition and feed myself, but at least you'll have some broad to work for your stupid club!"

Her words bounced off of him, "Since you have no means of transportation, we'll pick you up in the limo around five in the morning. Be ready to leave, or I'll send my bodyguards to come escort you. Also, I've compiled a list of drinks you need to learn how to make for the guests. Since you'll be a server, you must find something suitable to wear. If you really don't have anything, you can reuse that dealer's uniform, though I imagine it will be quite warm."

"Stop it, stop it, stop!" Mitsuru covered her ears, "I'm not going!"

Their argument was cut short by the knock on the doors of the music room. Haruhi welcomed Hisako in, and the redhead went straight to Mitsuru's side. There was a heavy letter in her hand, just like the last one she had received from the Host Club. The thief gave Kyoya an unamused look before greeting her friend.

"Hey, Hisako," she waved, "what are you doing here after hours?"

"Look! I got my letter in my locker! I'm so excited to go to the ocean with the Host Club! Oh, Mitsuru, tell me you're going!" Hisako was practically shoving her letter down the other girl's throat.

"I'm really sorry, but I can't go. I have family I need to visit during summer vacation! They live all the way in… America! You know how it is, haha."

She felt like all of the hosts were glaring at her as she blatantly lied. Mitsuru waved them away behind her back, as if to dispel the crowd of gentlemen, but they didn't scatter, so she made a different gesture out of frustration. Someone covered Honey's eyes.

"Oh! Please come with me! It won't be the same without you! Can't you visit them later?" Hisako was begging, grabbing Mitsuru's hands.

"W-well, surely you've gone to the beach before, so you know exactly what it's like…"

"That's not true! My parents won't allow me to go unless I have a supervisor!"

Now, it was a group conversation.

"WHAT?" The hosts leaned in, and the twins laughed to each other, at Hisako's expense.

The girl in question turned pink and twirled the end of one of her pigtails, "They think I'll get a little too excited and hurt myself somehow."

"My dear," Tamaki assured, "You'll be safe in our care, and my arms!"

"Hisa-chan, would your parents change their minds if Mitsu-chan came, too?" Honey inquired from atop of Mori's shoulders.

She murmured, "I think so! Since Mitsuru is so grown-up and responsible, she could act as a supervisor and a friend."

The thief felt the weight of the hosts' pressure. This was too much. She didn't have the funds to go on some kind of road trip with the Host Club, especially now that she was their little maid. She was trying not to look at Hisako, but she snuck a glance anyways.

Hisako's eyes were big, round, and wet with unshed tears. Mitsuru looked away as fast as she could, but it wasn't fast enough. She looked like a puppy dog that was watching its owner pull out of the driveway.

"The beach we're visiting is privately owned, so there's no concern for your safety, Hisako-san."

Mitsuru couldn't see his eyes behind his glasses, but she had a strong feeling that he was looking particularly smug. Kyoya loomed in the shadows, and discretely waved a piece of paper. She couldn't read it entirely, but she saw the words 'Green Tea Lemonade' and she blanched.

The pitiful Hisako turned to him as well, unaware or uncaring of his unsavory aura (which came out more often when he was around Mitsuru in particular), "I know, and my parents know as well. They just want to make sure that I don't get injured during the trip."

"What are you, some kind of baby that needs a nanny?"

The snarky remark came out so quick that Mitsuru didn't even register it as her own voice. She only knew that it had come from her lips when Haruhi sent her a look that said, 'Why did you say that out loud?' Hisako looked taken back, and the group of boys seemed to grow around her, as if blocking her exit if she tried to run away.

"What?" Hisako's lip quivered, as if in warning.

"I mean," Mitsuru was tripping over her tongue, trying to get out some explanation, "You, I see that you are, you are my friend, and I know this, but you are also a grown woman, do you, are your, do your parents know this? They know this, right? And so, they shouldn't try, and uh, treat you like a child and give you, an escort, ah, uh, a nanny."

It was choppy, like the waves during a storm, and the boat that was that sentence did not come out unscathed. Haruhi was unimpressed by her attempt at saving ship, the twins excused themselves to laugh even louder, Tamaki looked beyond pleased and Kyoya couldn't muffle the snicker he let out. He was wicked, through and through. Mitsuru would be glaring daggers at him if she wasn't awaiting Hisako's reaction to her word vomit, similar to Mori and Honey. She looked like she was sorting out what had been said, in her head, and when she was done computing, Hisako stood up a bit taller, with her brows furrowed.

"You know what, you're right!" She exclaimed.

"I am?"

Everyone else echoed with a, "She is?"

"My parents think they can try and keep acting like I'm a kid, but I've done lots of grown-up things! I've nursed a kangaroo back to health, all by myself. I don't need an escort to the beach trip."

She was getting fired up, but Mitsuru was quickly simmering down. She was just glad that this was working out in her favor. At least now, Hisako could go see the Host Club shirtless (and sweaty?) on the beach and Mitsuru could stay out of (even more) debt.

"I'll propose to them that I can handle myself, and, Mitsuru," Hisako turned to her with a determined grin, "We can go together as friends, not as a kid and her babysitter!"

"Wait, I said that-" Her protest fell on deaf ears as Hisako began to storm out of the music room with a purpose.

"I'm going to text my mother right now and tell her our plan!"

Mitsuru followed after Hisako, unable to keep up with her excited pace, similar to a leaf being swept up then left behind by a feverish wind.

"Our plan? I mean, this is all you because I can't-"

Hisako already had the door open, and was halfway through it. She stuck a waving hand out and smiled at the slack jawed thief.

"Thanks for the encouragement, Mitsuru! I'll call you so we can color coordinate our outfits!"

The entrance to the Host Club slammed shut, but Mitsuru still had a hand reached out, as if to stop Hisako. It reopened a moment later, but the discouraged crook didn't look any more optimistic.

"Oops, I forgot you don't have a cellphone. I'll email you! Bye-bye!"

Mitsuru couldn't even move. She was going to the trip, with what money? How was she going to pull this off? She didn't even know if she still owned a swimsuit. If things went decently, she could borrow some clothes from Teruko, but she doubted she would like them. If things got worse, well, Mitsuru imagined that dying young was better than living to see her life crumble.

"Like a rose, it blooms through hardship, illuminating beauty despite darkness around it!"

Mitsuru couldn't provide a snarky response, as she was still waiting for the door to open up, so Haruhi took her place, "Now's not a good time, Tamaki-senpai."

"Friendship!" He exclaimed, throwing his arms out towards the brunette host, "The rose that is friendship is blossoming here, today, in this very Host Club! The caring Hisako and her feisty counterpart growing together as they visit the East Sea! I can only imagine how they will advance as female companions…"

His rant was lost on Mitsuru. She stood, finally, and pulled out a chair for herself at a nearby table. When she sat, she let her head fall down onto the silky table cloth. The sound of her skull against the wood underneath the fabric called the hosts attention.

"Are you okay, Mitsu-chan?" Honey asked, from Mori's side.

Her muffled voice came out with a pathetic murmur, "Nooo."

"If you just told her the truth," Hikaru stated.

"That you are dirt poor." Kaoru added, from his brother's side.

"Maybe you wouldn't be in this mess."

They took an instinctive step backwards, but Mitsuru didn't swipe at them. She still had her head buried in the table cloth. The twins traded some glances. The situation was more serious than they thought if she wasn't taking any of their bait.

"I mean," Hikaru tried once more to provoke her, "You could always steal someone else's luggage."

"Yamasaki-san's life of crime is over! There's no way she would stoop that low," Tamaki announced.

"More like she's not allowed to," Hikaru mumbled.

"That's correct," Kyoya interfered, "She would be instantly impounded if there was even a rumor of her stealing anything."

Mitsuru raised her head up from the table, with an imprint of fabric on her cheek, "Can't you all shut up for a few minutes? I'm trying to think."

"Can't you just tell her you're sick or something?" Haruhi offered.

The thief put her chin in her hand, "You saw how happy she looked. There's no way I can say no to that."

"There must be some way that commoner's can raise money quickly!" Tamaki uselessly suggested, "Do you have any stocks? Perhaps you could sell one!"

"Go to hell!" Mitsuru snapped and reached out to grab his collar, but she missed, knocking a vase onto the floor.

Everyone stared at the watery mess on the floor like it was the scene of a murder.

Kyoya broke the silence by scribbling in his notebook, "You'll be replacing that."

"Obviously!" Mitsuru threw her arms up in the air, and stuck her hands in her hair.

Her bun became a ratty nest, and after cleaning up the glass shards, she dragged herself back to the prep room. She had a lot of dishes still waiting for her in the sink. Mitsuru was lucky. She needed as much time as she could have to think. She slipped her rubber gloves back on, and started scrubbing. She also pretended to be angry with Kyoya when he opened the door.

"How much is the trip, exactly?" She didn't even bother looking up at him.

"Five hundred thousand yen."

When Mitsuru started laughing, Kyoya had a confused look on his face.

"That's… that's so much! Hahaha! I could live off of that for the rest of the summer, and people are just, hahaha, spending that on one getaway! You damn rich people, hahaha!" She covered her face, as if to try and stop laughing.

Soap bubbles went up her nose and she hurriedly scrambled for a towel to wipe her face with. Without her sight, she couldn't see the Shadow King put one in her reach.

"It's a luxury trip," Kyoya stated matter-of-factly, "The room and board are going to be the absolute best."

"Yeah, so?" She buried her face in the dishtowel.

"You don't have to pay for your room or transportation, since you'll be staying and riding with us. That leaves board, and whatever other necessities you need to buy for the trip. I'll be kind and average out your expenses to be one hundred thousand yen. You're practically getting a free vacation."

"One hundred thousand yen is still a lot for me! I'm going to have to find some way to make that money, on top of paying for tuition in a few months. Ugh!" Mitsuru yelled into the rough fabric.

"Then, I suppose that means you can't afford this kind of trip. It'd probably be best if you went ahead and told Hisako-san that you won't be joining her."

It was a challenge, if she had ever heard one.

Mitsuru lowered the towel from her face, revealing a bitter expression, "I might surprise you."

"I doubt it. You had to steal just to survive, so it's incredibly unlikely that you will be able to procure the funds legally for a simple vacation."

She threw the towel at his chest, and hissed, "I'm going to make you eat those words."

Kyoya caught the towel, and placed it down on the counter. His self-satisfied look made Mitsuru nearly cringe. She hated how he always acted like he had control of the situation. In this case, he technically did, but he didn't have to flaunt it all the time.

"With a side of tea, I hope?"

Mitsuru raised a brow at him, and he responded by nodding towards the sink. There were thirty more tea cups waiting for her. The thief turned back towards Kyoya and mouthed some obscene words before returning to her work. The Shadow King smirked.

Kyoya one, Mitsuru zero.

-:-

"This is a cute top!"

"Teru-chan is right," Aya agreed, "you own some very fashionable clothes."

Mitsuru huffed, "I don't remember inviting everyone into my home."

Her apartment was a mess. Her closet was overflowing into the kitchen, and there was a pathetic bag on her bed, surrounded by a mountain of junk. There were some shards of plates on her pillow, and some lavish hair products on the floor. Aya and Teruko stood in the kitchen, folding and piling up a gang of t-shirts.

Mitsuru was preoccupied, doing what looked like a purge of her entire home. She had dug up everything from her closet, all of her drawers, and even from underneath her bed. Teruko thought she had an idea of how much Mitsuru had stolen from all the ages, but she was entirely wrong. Half of the things she had seen still had tags on them, and she couldn't afford those on a good night. Mitsuru didn't look phased at all, rummaging through her hoard. She had two separate piles of junk, the larger being the one that took up the kitchen, and the other being the stuff in her bedroom. Periodically, Mitsuru would toss something to the other women.

"Ah," Teruko caught a t-shirt by its sleeves, "Are you going to take this on your trip?"

Mitsuru took a moment to look up from a nice set of chinaware that she had found underneath her bed, "No way. It's got three holes in it!"

Aya and Teruko shared a look before the elder woman shrugged, and took the shirt, folding it and setting it aside.

"Why are you doing this? You've never gone a trip before! And you're not even packing your cute clothes," Teruko sighed, picking up a lacy top from the floor.

"I can't take them with me," Mitsuru responded from the other room, "They're not mine!"

"That's never stopped you before."

"Yeah, well, circumstances change."

Teruko raised a brow, "Don't you mean 'people change?'"

"No. I just… I need to pack!"

Mitsuru finally stood up, and stepped over a pile of clothes to arrive in the kitchen. She was only wearing a raggedy tank top and some gym shorts. Her hair was halfway up, with strands in her face and tickling her neck. She looked exhausted.

She had been rummaging through her room since she got home from school, hoping to find some suitable clothes for the trip, but she had only come across more stolen merchandise. It was stressing her out beyond belief. How was she going to get rid of this stuff? And how was she going to afford the trip?

She took a moment to sit down on the cool floor with Aya and Teruko.

"I have to get one hundred thousand yen in two weeks," she held in her breath for a moment, then let it go, "on top of two million yen in three months."

Teruko shot up, "What?! Two million yen?! What for?"

"Tuition."

"Now, now," Aya was folding another shirt, "You don't _have_ to go on this trip, and if you had better grades, maybe you could get a scholarship."

"I know, but I just… I need to go."

"Is that why you're going through all your stuff?" Teruko questioned, still standing, "So you can sell some and afford school?"

Mitsuru ran a hand through her hair, "Nope. I can't sell any of it."

"Says who?"

"Says my new owner."

"What! You're a slave?!"

Aya chuckled, "You two are so dramatic. Mitsuru is under a contract with a particularly rich family. She got caught stealing, and now, she must never steal again."

"Wow," Teruko sat back down, with a gaping mouth, "That's like… crazy."

"Tell me about it."

Mitsuru took a deep breath, and then peered at her room. It was a complete mess. She was working hard to separate what she owned from what she had stolen, and it was starting to look like she didn't actually own anything. The only things she did own were on the corner of her bed. So far, there was a messenger bag, a hair brush, a photograph, and a single hair bow.

"What are you going to do with all the stuff you already have?" Teruko tilted her head, as if pointing towards the unspoken elephant-sized mess in the room.

"Donate it, dump it, etcetera. I just can't sell it."

"I have some trash bags you can use to pack this up," Aya slowly stood, a few bones crackling as she did, "Let me go get them."

"Thank you, Aya-san," Mitsuru smiled, watching the elder woman walk away.

When only the two remained, Teruko looked up at Mitsuru with a discernable expression, "I think I know what you are going to go do."

The thief crossed her arms, raising a brow, "And what am I going to do?"

"You're going to go crawling back to the Dragons, asking for money."

Mitsuru bit her lip, and turned away.

"It's none of your business what I decide to do."

Teruko hummed, "You know they won't let you go, again."

"Yeah, I know that. I just… I need this to go right. I need to prove that I-…"

Teruko looked up, waiting for Mitsuru to finish.

She sighed, "I just need this to happen."

The door swung back open, and the thief nearly jumped out of her skin. Aya stood, carrying an entire roll of black trash bags. Her smile was so wide that her eyes disappeared in her wrinkles.

"I brought all that I had," She explained.

"Thanks, Aya-san. I imagine we're going to need every single one," Teruko winked at Mitsuru.

-:-

They ended up using all of the trash bags in the entire complex. Teruko had to run and find some more in her apartment. It took three trips in Aya's minivan to actually get rid of all the stolen goods. Every market they visited was taken back by the expensive wares, and even more shocked when they learned that it was being donated. Mitsuru was not pleased. She didn't like watching all of her hard work be passed out.

On their way back to the apartment (for good, this time), Aya asked, "Mitsuru, did you like stealing?"

The thief turned to face the woman with a thoughtful expression. Aya was driving, thus unable to turn as well, but she was smiling at the road, keeping a watchful eye.

"I think that I," Mitsuru paused, trying to conjure an answer, "I did what I had to do."

"You didn't answer my question."

The teen sighed, "I know. I just don't know how to answer. I… guess I liked being a thief."

"You guess?"

"I-.. Yeah. I guess."

They pulled into the empty apartment parking lot in silence. When Mitsuru got back to her room, she was depressed by the sight of its bareness. Her bed had the same bag on it, filled with what she could remember owning under her own name, and her closet had consumed some clothes, but she didn't have anything suitable for the East Sea.

She halfheartedly opened a drawer, and saw that she actually did own one bathing suit from the last school she went to. It was the classic blue with ugly, thick straps, but she didn't think it would still fit. It was from middle school. There was no way.

Mitsuru shut it, and reached for the bottom drawer. It had some tank tops inside, as well as socks, but she dug through them to reach the wood of the drawer. She felt along its smooth texture until she grabbed a small, rectangular item. She pulled it out, and flipped the phone open. The background was a default red pattern, and it only had one contact on it. There was no picture for it, or additional details, but all she needed to see were the bold letters, spelling, 'TATSUYA.'

Her thumb was resting on the call button, but she looked at its red counterpart. She didn't have to go. She could make up some excuse, and not follow through. Hisako would be sad, but she would get over it, wouldn't she? Kyoya would never let her live it down, though. She had talked a big game, and she was just going to back out. She could see his self-righteous face in her head, and she was overcome. She had to prove him wrong. She had to.

She pressed the green button with more force than necessary. Someone picked up, so quickly that Mitsuru didn't have any time to listen to the dial tone, and she had a feeling she knew why. His phone only had one purpose, too.

For a beat, neither of them said anything. She could hear his breathing on the other side, and she felt something stir in her stomach.

"Hello."

His voice crackled out of the phone, and without thinking, Mitsuru flinched. She could hear his smile. It was wide, and she knew he was sitting on his throne, alone after sending everyone away at the sound of the phone ringing. She had a feeling she knew what the ring tone was, as well. She waited a few more seconds to respond.

She gritted her teeth, "I need a favor."

"Straight to business, I see. Can't we catch up for a little bit?" He sounded sincerely hurt, like he was actually interested in talking for a while.

Mitsuru didn't say anything, so he continued with, "How is my spitfire doing? It was hard letting you go, but I knew you'd come back."

He made it sound like it was his choice that she left! He had been furious when she disappeared. That's why he was sending out his feelers to faraway places, like where Teruko worked, in hopes of catching his 'spitfire.' She wanted to spit fire right into his face, but she didn't like the thought of physically being near him.

"I wish I could see you, Mi-tsu-ru."

He whispered her name into the phone, and she suddenly felt sick. She shouldn't have called him. She didn't have to go. Hisako would be okay. Hisako would have fun without her. A smirk with a pair of glasses flashed across her vision, and she gathered the courage to say something.

"I need three million yen."

It felt nice to make him speechless. Mitsuru wondered if he was staring at the screen of his phone, waiting for an explanation.

"Huh. May I ask why?"" he finally said, slowly.

"Go ahead," Mitsuru felt powerful talking back to him, "It won't do you any good, though."

She imagined that now, there was no way she was going to the beach trip. It was a nice thought, but it was nearly impossible to imagine happening at this point. She was rude to him. He wasn't going to lend her money.

"You said, three million yen?"

Mitsuru gulped, "Y-yes."

"Well, consider it done," he said it so quickly that she almost didn't catch it.

"Wait, what do I have to-!" Mitsuru was halfway through when the line went dead.

The sound of the tone made her throw the phone across the room. The case shattered, and the battery fell out, but she didn't care. She wouldn't be using that cellphone again for the rest of her life.

"Of course he's not going to tell me the catch!" She growled.

Mitsuru collapsed into bed. God knows what he's planning. What if he was tracking her phone? They hadn't talked long enough for him to know where she was, but she was uncomfortable with even the idea of him finding a way to pinpoint her location.

On top of that, she had no idea how he was going to ask her to repay, but she imagined that if she slowly but surely repaid him from different accounts in different locations, maybe she would be able to avoid him for the rest of her life. For three million yen… She had told him a larger amount than it actually was, in hopes of convincing him to settle for a lower number, but he had actually gone through with it. Actually, she wouldn't know until she checked one of her accounts, but she had a feeling that he wouldn't back out. And now, she owed the leader of the Dragons three million yen. There was a heavy sense of dread sitting in her stomach, and she looked over to where the battery of the cellphone had gone.

How many years would it take for her to erase all of the debt that she was piling up?

"I'm going to die," Mitsuru groaned, and rolled over, successfully creating a cocoon of blankets as well.

At the very least, she imagined that she and Hisako would have a great time at the East Sea. She would literally force herself to have fun, if that's what it took. On the bright side, if she had a kind of credit card, he would be completely thrown off her trail since all of her purchases would be in a new location. Maybe that would buy her a few months of peace before he tried to collect.

And on an even brighter side…

Mitsuru squealed into her pillow, "I'm going on vacation!"

She was actually going on this trip, and she was going in style! On top of the one hundred thousand that she needed for the trip, she had a ton of spending money! That extra nine hundred thousand yen was going to set her up nice. She was going to buy the best bathing suit money could buy, and the cutest clothes she could find. She would have to take it out in cash, but she didn't care. For once, something went right (kind of?), and she would be able to see Kyoya's face when he realizes that she won!

* * *

 **Author's Note**

Thanks to everyone who is now following this story! **[veronicatolisano, wealhtheow1, CrissYami, HologramHoney, kaikurayami, Booksarelife9, Shadow Spears, YaoiRPAlley, littlesunhikari, and ItzNikkiBlack]**

Also a big thank you to everyone who added this story (or me!) to their favorites! **[veronicatolisano, CrissYami, kaikurayami, Booksarelife9, YaoiRPAlley, and ItzNikkiBlack]**

 **Reviewers:**

 **bored411** : I'm glad you enjoyed it! I updated a lot quicker than I usually do, so I hope you find some time to read this chapter as well. Thanks so much for your review!

 **CrissYami** : Thank you so much! Here's another chapter. Thank you for reviewing!

 **Guest** : Thank you! Yeah, I thought about getting a beta but with how unorganized I am, and how odd it is for me to actually update my stories on time, I imagine that I would only get in a beta reader's way. Thank you for the suggestion, though. Also, I had no idea those words had separate meanings! Oops. I'll use them correctly from now on! Thank you so much for your review.

 **YaoiRPAlley** : You are too sweet! That is honestly such an amazing compliment... Thank you so much! I'm glad you are enjoying my story! Slowly but surely, we will learn more about her! Also, wow, you got it in one! You predicted Mitsuru's tattoos! Thank you again for your kind encouragement! I hope you enjoy this chapter, and thanks so much for reviewing!

* * *

I'm really overwhelmed with joy whenever someone follows, favorites, or reviews one of my stories. I am genuinely flattered by everyone who enjoys my work. So, thank you all! I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. Also, please remember that I am basing my story mainly off the MANGA and not the ANIME, though I will be merging the two in certain places. Thanks again for reading! I will be updating again soon.


	7. Three is a Magic Number

Her alarm had gone off at four in the morning, when the sun was still sleeping. Amidst an entirely fresh wardrobe, Mitsuru also bought a new alarm clock. It was small and projected the time on the ceiling. It read '4:11' when the sluggish girl actually rolled out of her bed. She brushed her teeth, then her hair, tying it up in a knot on the top of her head. Several strands floated down and tickled her neck, but she was too tired to fix them. When she walked into her kitchen, she stubbed her toe on a bloated suitcase that rivaled the size of her nightstand.

She had spent all night stuffing her luggage with her recent purchases. In retrospect, she should have planned to leave some clothes out for the car ride, just to prepare for her victory entrance, but her mind was foggy with the remnants of a dream she had been having merely half an hour ago. As she sipped on some bitter, bland, and boiling coffee, Mitsuru couldn't recall what her dream had been about. She ate a small breakfast (a bagel with some cream cheese) and then contemplated changing out of her pajamas. In the end, she traded them for a pair of plain gym shorts and a long sleeved t-shirt. Not much of an improvement.

It was a lot more difficult than Mitsuru had originally thought to buy long sleeved summer clothes. She had taken two trains to get to where she knew all the rich people shopped, and was already feeling a little lost, but felt _completely_ out of place asking customer service where their winter line was. In a way, it was nice since she was alone in that section of the store. When she went into a store dedicated to bathing suits, she was hesitant to buy anything. She couldn't even wear one, but she bought one anyways just because she could. She also bought two more because she had helped break into the store once in the past, and she had a strange feeling of guilt at the sight of their new security system.

The limo pulled in right at five. The driver expertly maneuvered the luxury car so that the passenger's door faced the dingy apartment. The engine was so quiet that Mitsuru would not have noticed it had she not already been outside. She dragged her luggage down the stairs and went to where she assumed the trunk of the car was, but a tall man in a black suit intercepted her. Her heart nearly stopped, but she reminded herself that Kyoya had bodyguards.

Without saying anything, he reached out for her suitcase, and she let him take it. He opened the trunk and Mitsuru whistled without thinking. The limo had enough space for at least five people to lie down in the trunk comfortably, without their shoulders touching. The bodyguard looked at her from behind his dark glasses for a moment, before he took her to the passenger side of the limo, and opened the door for her. It was well-lit inside, and completely empty. Mitsuru looked around it suspiciously.

"Am I being kidnapped?" She bluntly asked.

As if accustom to such questions, the bodyguard deadpanned, "Ootori-sama and his associates are to be picked up later at eight in the morning."

"Then, what the hell am I doing up at five?"

"The young master specifically asked for your early extraction so that you could study the materials he provided for you."

Mitsuru took a better look inside the limo and saw a pile of books deeper within. She had completely neglected to study how to make tropical drinks. Kyoya had emailed her at least eleven separate documents, and she deleted every single one. Now, she was beginning to regret it. Then again, he must've known she wasn't going to bother, because he set this up in advance.

With a heavy sigh, Mitsuru climbed into the vehicle, and found a comfortable spot, which wasn't hard. The seats were lined with some kind of soft leather. There was enough room for the entire clientele of the Host Club, but instead of sprawling out like she wanted to, the commoner found a corner and curled up in it. Despite being entirely alone, with the partition rolled up to create a literal barrier, Mitsuru felt like an alien being watched.

She set aside her discomfort, and opened up the book on the top of the pile. The first ten pages were cocktails, so she skipped past them until she reached the nonalcoholic beverages. She had read a few lines into the recipe when she realized that the car must still be in the parking lot. She couldn't feel the wheels or anything moving. Mitsuru pressed a few buttons until the window rolled down, and she saw that her apartment complex was far in the distance. This car was no nice she couldn't even feel it moving! She rolled the window back up and settled back into her nook. The world of the rich was indeed spectacular.

-:-

Mitsuru didn't realize she had been sleeping until the door farthest from her opened up. She popped up, alarmed by the sudden sound of life, and wiped at some drool on her chin. Kyoya ducked into the sitting area, and ignored her as he took a seat. She almost didn't recognize him. His hair was ruffled, and he was wearing casual clothes. They sat in silence for a few minutes, until Mitsuru was frustrated by his silence.

She glared, "Good morning to you too!"

He didn't respond, and the thief fumed, until she realized that the Shadow King wasn't even awake. The second he sat down, he fell asleep, and had slumped over in his seat. Mitsuru snorted and chuckled to herself. So, he wasn't a morning person? Neither was she!

"Kyoya!" She called out.

The dark-haired teen didn't even budge. She picked up one of her finished books, and prepared to throw it, and then reconsidered as she noticed the sleeping boy's face. It was devoid of the usual scowl and he almost appeared peaceful. Mitsuru put her book down, and picked up the one she had been in the middle of before apparently falling asleep. Just this once, she would leave him alone.

It was another silent ride, with the unfelt speeding of the limo, until Tamaki entered the car. He was already loud, from outside the vehicle, and Kyoya woke a few moments before his best friend arrived. He blinked awake, and glanced at Mitsuru. When he spotted her reading a book, he had a pleased look on his face, and Mitsuru pretended not to see him.

"Good morning!" Tamaki announced.

Somehow, the seating area seemed smaller, as if Tamaki, his personality, and his brightly colored carry-on took up more space than both Kyoya and Mitsuru combined.

"You're awfully energetic," Kyoya hid a yawn.

His blond counterpart was vibrating with excitement, "But of course! Today, we're seeing the East Sea with Haruhi! I can't believe this is going to be her first time seeing the ocean!"

"Her?" Mitsuru looked up from a recipe of a smoothie (Berry Go Round) to stare at the King of the Host Club.

"Ah," Tamaki sweat, "I meant _you_ , of course, Mitsuru! This is _your_ first time seeing the ocean, haha!"

He and Kyoya shared an unseen moment. The brunet wanted to strangle Tamaki, but the blond assured him that he had the situation under control.

"Yeah, actually, I suppose I haven't." Mitsuru went back to her book, but not without giving the boys another suspicious stare.

It only took what felt like ten minutes for the limo to be full. The twins were picked up next, and instantly harassed Mitsuru to the point that she couldn't focus on reading. They made fun of her clothes until she hit one of them so hard he cried out. She tried looking out the window, but she was annoyed by the big houses. Honey and Mori were seated, and the former was asleep in the latter's lap for the duration of the ride. Haruhi was the last person to be picked up, and Mitsuru was peering out of the car when she saw where the young boy lived.

"Hey, hold up, where are we?" Mitsuru inquired, confused.

The twins stepped out to extract the host, "At Haruhi's house!"

"This is… Just an apartment complex."

Kyoya, who had only _really_ woken up fifteen minutes after Tamaki's arrival, raised a brow, "You didn't know? Haruhi is poor, just like you. Unlike you, however, he got into Ouran with a scholarship."

Said host was dragged into the limo and sat between the twins, sandwiched.

"Good morning, Mitsuru," he waved.

"Hi, Haruhi. I didn't know you were also a normal person."

"Um, what? Oh!" The girl in disguise nodded, "You mean that I'm not rich. Yeah, I got in through a scholarship."

"Huh. Isn't that neat," Mitsuru rested her chin in her palm.

The rest of the ride was uneventful, if anything but long. Honey slept through a majority of it, and only woke when they were an hour away from the vacation home they were staying at. Kyoya didn't specify whose home it was, so Mitsuru was unsure if it was going to be a pleasant stay. Besides that, the twins moved on to messing with Haruhi, much to Tamaki's chagrin, and her own relief.

When they arrived, they all piled out and Mori helped Mitsuru get her luggage out of the back to hand to the staff of the vacation home. They were all dressed rather somberly, but the commoner figured it was just how maids and butlers dressed.

Kyoya had an itinerary, but Mitsuru was the only one bothered by it.

"We'll start with unpacking, and settling into our rooms. Afterwards, everyone change into something suitable for the beach, as we'll be entertaining our clients there."

They all followed the staff into a rather ominous looking mansion. The lighting was dim inside, and everyone was escorted to their rooms. The twins apparently shared one, as well as Honey and Mori, and Mitsuru was beginning to think she might have to share a room, too, but the maid she followed took her to a large bedroom, thrice the size of hers at home.

When no one else showed up, she flopped onto the bed with a whoop. She knew she only had a few minutes since she needed to set up at a make-shift bar, but the temptation was too strong. Mitsuru stood up on the mattress and jumped a few times. It was incredibly bouncy! Her feet kept sinking into the comforter, which felt like a layer of fluff, but she still ended up almost touching the last little crystal of the light fixture hanging from the ceiling. When she thought she was going to be able to grab it, someone knocked on the door.

"Ootori-sama says I am to escort you to the beach is."

Mitsuru clambered to where her luggage was and yanked out the casino uniform she had packed, "Um! I'll be out in a second!"

It was actually one hundred and twenty seconds, but she eventually buttoned the shirt up (properly this time) and swung the door open. The maid was old, only a few years younger than Aya, and had dark, sunken eyes. Mitsuru thought she might actually be a ghost, but decided to follow her to the beach anyways.

There was a paved walkway from the servant's kitchen to the bar she was working at. It was steep and jagged, not at all practical, but the maid didn't find any difficulty in following the path. Mitsuru had to lean back heavily, but she eventually touched sand, and all of her previous concerns about where she was staying were washed away.

The sight was gorgeous. The whole thing reminded her of a postcard she saw in a grocery store once. It was still only a few hours before the real heat came in with the lunchtime rush, but the sun was still gracing the water with her fingertips. The reflection could've blinded Mitsuru, and she stumbled forward in the sand, a bit inept without her sight. The sand was white, and Mitsuru scooped some up for fun. It felt like water in her hands, and slipped back down to the earth. When the maid cleared her throat, Mitsuru finally focused on the bar. It was a large set-up, with a prominent line up of oddly shaped glasses. There was one cup that looked like a buxom woman, and she couldn't help but snicker at it. The older woman didn't think it was funny.

"Any and all of these tools are yours for the afternoon. The ice is located in the mini fridge, and the fruits are hanging in the baskets. If you have need of anything, there is an intercom system set up so that you can call for anyone's assistance. There is one marked as the 'Servant's Quarters.' If you call for that one, one of the other servants will meet your needs as soon as possible. Any questions?"

Mitsuru picked up an apple and tossed it between her hands, "Nope. Thanks!"

The maid bowed, "Then, I'll be off. Good luck."

Mitsuru watched the old woman make her way back up the rocky path until she couldn't see her anymore. Then, she turned and inspected the bar. It was rather straightforward, with three high tech mixers, a ton of ice, fruits, and juices. There was a hefty sink and a miniature dishwasher hidden underneath the counter. As an experiment, she tried mixing up something she read about. It was the Berry Go Round smoothie. The mixer wasn't loud at all, which wasn't what Mitsuru was expecting. It was silent, and spun rapidly for a minute until it belted out a note that signaled the smoothie was finished. Mitsuru dumped it into the lady cup and took a sip.

It wasn't terrible. She wanted to try some more recipes, but she saw the group of hosts approaching from the other side of the beach, and decided against it. If she messed up, Kyoya would punish her somehow, so she would save messing around for when she was actually serving clients. They wouldn't be able to tell the difference anyways. The boys would likely distract them from even taking a sip.

Haruhi sat on a beach chair beneath an umbrella a few paces away from the bar. Tamaki was scoping out a rock to perch himself on, and he asked Haruhi's opinion of his poses ever few seconds. The twins started pulling together a volleyball court, and Mori was helping Honey put on a floaty.

It was only a few minutes later that the nicest looking limo (besides the one that had picked her up) Mitsuru had ever seen pulled up on the sand. One by one, at least fifty (maybe less?) girls piled out of its doors. The commoner kept looking for Hisako in the faces of the girls, until she saw one of them running straight for her. The girl bit the sand once, slipping on the delicate white grains, but she ended up arriving at the bar mostly unscathed.

"Mitsuru!" Hisako smiled, showing off some sand in her teeth, "You made it! I'm so happy! Let's go swimming!"

"Hahaha, maybe later." She deflected, pouring a glass of water.

"Oh, wow," the redhead took a better look at the beach, "They really do go all-out, don't you think?"

Mitsuru put the glass in front of her friend, "You bet."

Without hesitating, Hisako swished the water around in her mouth before spitting it out on the sand. She smiled, and her teeth were clean.

"All better," Mitsuru tried not to laugh, "So, where are you staying?"

"The Host Club is providing some luxury rooms in a nearby resort! Isn't that so convenient? After we stay here for a couple of hours, we go back and get massages!"

"Wow, that's amazing."

"I know! I can't wait! Oh," Hisako stopped to blush at Mori, who approached with Honey in tow, "Good afternoon."

"Good afternoon," the silent giant replied.

Honey popped out with his floaty and grabbed Hisako's wrist, "Come swim with us, Hisa-chan!"

"Okay! I'll be back, Mitsuru!"

The thief watched as the trio sped off towards the water. Hisako almost fell down in the sand again, but both Mori and Honey grabbed her wrists and kept her upright. From afar, they looked like a family. Mitsuru went back to pretending to clean with a far-off expression until someone came to request some smoothies.

-:-

An hour and a half went by rather uneventfully. There was a faux volleyball tournament that the twins won, and Honey kept bringing buckets full of sea creatures to the bar for Mitsuru to store away. It finally came to her attention that there was a suspiciously shaped cove at the far end of the beach. It looked like a sea monster with ears, and she kept pondering what it might be until Kyoya sat down at the bar and she settled on asking him.

"So, whose private beach is this?"

"Nekozawa's. He is allowing us to use it free of charge. We did, however, have to pay for our guests' lodging and such." He replied, drinking an orange mixture from a tall glass.

"Well, wasn't that nice of him," Mitsuru put her chin in her palm, "I guess that's why that thing looks kind of like a cat."

The two of them sat in relative silence, watching the twins present a rather sinister looking snake to Haruhi, who nonchalantly threw it away as if it was just trash instead of a python. It seemed as though everyone was particularly keen on tormenting the young host today, but Mitsuru didn't question it. Maybe it was some kind of inducting ceremony.

"Mitsuru!" Hisako came back, her hair now damp, and her bathing suit dark with ocean water, "Me and some of the other girls are going to explore that cave with Haruhi-kun! Won't you come with us?"

The thief glanced at Kyoya, but he didn't shake his head or anything, so she walked out of and around the bar, cautiously, as though he would change his mind any second.

"Try not to get in any trouble," advised the Shadow King.

Mitsuru sent him a thumbs-up, "You've got it, boss."

She went to Hisako's side and waited for her to tug on a cover-up.

"Nekozawa-san was telling us that this beach is haunted," Hisako babbled as she walked, bumping Mitsuru's hands with her own, "And whoever jumps from the top of the cove will surely die!"

The thief snorted, "That's a ton of nonsense."

"No way! There's bones there and everything!"

Perfectly on time, they passed a skull halfway buried in the sand. It looked planted there, so Mitsuru didn't buy it. Hisako, on the other hand, almost leapt in the air at the sight of it.

"Oh, please, come on," the thief tugged her friend along, "That might as well be made of plastic; it's so fake."

"How do you know? Have you ever seen a real human skull?" Hisako whined.

"In anatomy class, sure."

"Those aren't real!"

Mitsuru ended up pulling Hisako into the cave. It wasn't dark inside, and there were a few skeletons scattered around. There was even a sword stabbed into the ground a bit farther back, but Haruhi advised against touching it. He had a bucket of little creatures that he was collecting, and there were two other girls with him.

"I'm too scared to look off the ledge, but from here," Hisako peered out towards the sky, "It sure does look like a paradise!"

Mitsuru was about to respond by saying the edge wasn't so scary when you knelt down, but some male voices drowned her out.

"What's this? You can get to the beach this way." A guy in sandals and cargo shorts rounded the corner of the cove and at the sight of a group of girls in swimsuits, he whistled, "Hello, ladies!"

Two other teens followed him, with similar exclamations. They had longer hair, and Mitsuru could see some tattoos on one of them. On instinct, she went to stand up as tall as she could, but her skirt was caught on a skeleton's hand, and as she struggled to tear it free, the guys approached Hisako and her friends.

"Hey, let's play together," he urged.

Hisako gulped, and her legs looked like they were trembling, "Excuse me, but this is private beach!"

Another of the delinquents grabbed her wrist, and Mitsuru started ripping the fabric of her skirt, "Isn't it boring by yourselves?"

One of the other girls cried out as a young man got close to her face, "And you're rich to boot! Come on, let's have fun!"

Then, Haruhi threw his bucket of odd creatures onto the other group. Mitsuru tore through the rest of her skirt, creating a kind of slit it wasn't meant to have and stormed over to where they were. She could hear the other hosts approaching, but they weren't going to be able to stop her from punishing these idiots.

Two of the guys were cornering Haruhi, but one of them noticed Mitsuru approaching. He eyed her legs and licked his lips. It was the one who had snatched Hisako's wrist.

"Hey, baby-" he started, but he didn't get to finish because the thief punched him in the mouth.

Her fist felt like it was cold and raw as she went in for another punch, but the delinquent must've gotten a sense of what was going to happen because he ducked and hit Mitsuru square in the face. She staggered, and she heard Hisako scream, but all she could focus on was the fact that they had grabbed her best and only friend.

"You assholes think you can just show up and act like you have a right to be here?" she growled, and put her fists up, "I'll give you five seconds to get lost, or else."

The man with the long hair snickered, wiping the blood from his nose, "Or else what?"

Mitsuru liked talking trash, but she also knew that she had to back it up with her skill. In this case, she was so angry that there was no question she could back up her threat. She went down and swept the legs out from underneath him. She heard Tamaki call out for Haruhi, and saw him get shoved off the cove, but she was too busy to worry about him. She figured that he knew how to swim, but later she would think back on how Tamaki dove after him, and realized that perhaps Haruhi didn't actually know how.

She climbed on top of the teen she had knocked over and kept punching him in the face until one of his buddies grabbed her hair. He was tugging her off, and she reached for her back pocket. She was going to grab a pocket knife, but she didn't have one. She was thinking like a Dragon again. Mitsuru looked over to where the girls were, but it was now the hosts, minus Tamaki and Haruhi. Hisako was hidden behind Mori, but at the sight of Mitsuru's presumably bloody face, she gasped.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave," Kyoya stated.

He was smiling, but it was the scariest thing Mitsuru had ever seen. It reminded her of how he looked when he confronted her about stealing from the Host Club. Seeing that he and his buddies were outnumbered, the teen with the tattoos let go of Mitsuru's hair.

"That bitch is crazy!" the one with the longer hair picked himself up, his face a mangled mess, and followed his friends out of the cave.

"You're just going to let them go?" Mitsuru growled, tasting copper on her lips.

"Of course not," Kyoya knelt down in front of her, "My bodyguards are having a chat with them right now. I imagine they'll confiscate their ID's, and give them a lesson on trespassing."

He lifted her chin with his hand and inspected her face. She was going to have a solid black eye in a few hours, and her bottom lip was bleeding. He pulled a tissue out of her shirt pocket and dabbed her mouth with it. It was rather unsettling to see how the blood (mixed with saliva) absorbed into the white of the tissue and he let Mitsuru keep it pressed to her wound.

Watching her had been like witnessing a tornado. She moved so quick, with such a purpose that Kyoya had almost left her to beat the bastards up, but he couldn't. She was going to lose if she kept throwing herself at them like she didn't value her life. At that realization, Kyoya made a mental note to speak with her later, in private.

"Tamaki-sama and Haruhi-kun are on the beach! I think they may be hurt!"

The group turned their attention to outside the cave, and filed out. Hisako and Mitsuru lagged behind. She felt a little heavy, the adrenaline rush over with, and she let Hisako wipe her face some more with the tissue, and when it had become nearly pink with blood, she began to use her cover-up, despite Mitsuru's protests.

"I can't believe you tried to fight them, Mitsuru!" she scolded, with tears piled up in her eyes, "You could've gotten seriously hurt!"

"I've been in fights before."

Hisako sighed, "Martial arts classes don't count!"

Even now, Hisako believed Mitsuru's act.

"You-!" She paused, then tried to grin, "You're right. That was foolish of me. I was just so… angry with them. I should have waited for the Host Club. I'm sorry."

Hisako finally started sniffling, "T-that's right! Don't ever do that again!"

Mitsuru let her lead her to the beach. The hosts were all grouped together, except for Tamaki who walked away a bit halfheartedly, and she went to join them. It seemed like there had been a heated discussion because they went dead silent as she stepped forward. In retrospect, she also noted that she must've looked rather awful and that might have stopped them, but she didn't think of that at the time.

"Are you okay, Haruhi?" She inquired, noting that Mori was carrying the smaller boy, "That fall must've hurt."

"I'm fine," he stated, "What about you? You've got blood on your face."

"Yeah, well, I've had much worse," Mitsuru realized how cryptic and scary her reply was after she said it, and tried to change the subject, "A-anyways, I'm pretty sure the car is going to pick up the girls soon, so we should probably head out."

The air was unnaturally heavy as they went back to the house. Mitsuru was told before to use the servant's entrance to the house, but she was too nervous to try and conquer the path, so she followed the boys to the main entrance. There were a handful of servants awaiting them, and two of them had bandages.

"Fujioka-sama, Yamasaki-sama," they greeted, "Please follow us to the infirmary."

"I'm really fine," Haruhi insisted, but he put a hand to his forehead, saw the blood and changed his mind.

The infirmary was bland, and for some reason, all the lights were off, replaced by several candles spattered about the room. _Guess that's one way to save the power_ , Mitsuru thought to herself. She let a maid, not the same one as earlier today, put a cold compress on her eye. Mitsuru's lip was swollen, but the staff informed her that it would go down overnight. She watched as Haruhi got two big bandages on his face, covering up some scratches.

"Do you not know how to fight?" She asked, as they were escorted back to their rooms.

The brunet looked a bit unnerved by her question, but he still replied, "I don't."

Mitsuru rolled her eyes, "Figures. You can't just run into confrontation with no means of defending yourself."

"Well, what about you, Mitsuru? How come you know how to fight?"

"I grew up in a shitty neighborhood," she replied, and it felt like the most honest thing she had said all day.

They went their separate ways, and Mitsuru found her room had a few added candles inside. They filled the space with the smell of lavender, making the view outside much more peaceful. There was a large window on the far side of the room, and it let Mitsuru see the darkening skies. She thought it was a bit thoughtless of Kyoya to plan a beach trip on the one weekend it would storm.

Changing her clothes, she noted that her nice shirt had blood on it. She hoped that it was from those creeps who tried to mess with Hisako. She knew assholes like that in the Dragons, but they never messed with her. She imagined that her ability to fight helped her stay out from under their radars, as well as being one of Tatsuya's favorite toys. Mitsuru looked at her arms in the mirror and felt heavy with disgust. She ran her fingers over some of her more prominent scars until she was tired. She changed into some more casual clothes, and tugged on a hoodie even though she wasn't cold.

She was escorted to the dining room by the older maid she had met earlier. She was carrying a decorative candlestick.

"Is the power out?" Mitsuru asked, as they approached a pair of tall doors.

The woman shook her head, replying, "The young master doesn't care for bright lights."

The table was enormous, and there was a chandelier hanging from the ceiling with nearly a thousand sparkling gems adorning it. On the table, there was a large array of seafood, the one dish that caught Mitsuru's eye being the crab. There was still some tension in the air, but she decided to ignore it and sat down next to Honey. Knowing he was her unspoken favorite, the smallest host tried not to gloat, but he smiled a bit wider.

Mitsuru pulled a few things onto her plate, not feeling a great appetite, and took a few bites, "I'm glad you're all behaving strangely."

She must have stabbed the tension, because Tamaki twitched. He was seated next to Haruhi, but instead of fawning over him, their seats couldn't have been farther away from one another.

"The air is stuffy," remarked one of the twins.

His brother agreed, nodding as he added, "It is kind of tense."

It went back to being nearly silent as Mitsuru scraped her plate with her utensils and Kyoya wrote in his notebook. His pen and her fork were the only noises in the room until Honey spoke up.

"Some bad people and nasty weather isn't going to ruin our trip!" he cooed, "Let's eat, Haru-chan! I'm sure the crabs we caught today are delicious."

The brunet obliged, and began snapping the crabs as if he had a personal vendetta against them. They all watched him eat, violently cracking every little leg, all the while spitting out horrendous crab puns.

"Wow," he deadpanned, "these are in-crab-ible."

"Oh my god," Mitsuru remarked, putting her fork down, "I think I'm finished. Watching you eat is making me want to vomit."

Without responding, Haruhi downed at least thirty more crab legs, until Tamaki piped in. The hollow legs were piled up next to his plate, which he had barely touched.

"Don't you think you are eating too much?" he squeaked.

"Huh?" Haruhi snapped another leg, "I thought you weren't talking to me."

The thief perked up, looking between the two hosts. That's why it was so awkward. The two of them were fighting. That was strange. They seemed incredibly close during club hours. Mitsuru wondered if their friendship was straining due to the change in environment.

Tamaki slammed his napkin down, looking the most upset she had ever seen him, "It seems like you have no intentions of apologizing. Then, I'm going to bed!"

There was a butler standing near the door who opened it for the blond. The hallway was devoid of any light, and Tamaki looked to Kyoya with a desperate look.

"Kyoya? Not going to bed?" he murmured.

The Shadow King sighed, "Yes, yes. Everyone, please excuse me."

The two departed, and Mitsuru looked at Haruhi, who had a guilty expression.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked dismissively, waving around her napkin, "You two need to kiss and make up. It's obvious you hurt his pride somehow."

"Yeah, Haruhi," one of the twins leaned in, "And you're going to be sick from all that crab."

The host pushed the plate of empty crab shells away, and looked down into his lap, "I guess I should really learn how to defend myself. Maybe karate or something…"

"So that's where your thoughts are headed," the twins mimicked each other's actions, putting their chins in their palms, "Well, it's not like we'd stop you or anything, but that's not what this is about is it?"

Hikaru, or maybe Kaoru, looked down at his plate, "To be honest, I wish you'd consider how rashly you acted today."

Mitsuru kept quiet, glancing at all of the hosts. This was an odd conversation to have between gentlemen. _Maybe because they are all cultured, they know how to talk about their emotions_ , she thought to herself. But really, she was starting to put some things together in her head. Was Haruhi anemic or something? Why were they all so worried about him?

"Huh? Did I make trouble for you all?" Haruhi furrowed his brows.

Honey, in response, stood from the table and went to the younger host's side, "No, that's not it, Haru-chan. Apologize to everyone. Apologize again and again to Tama-chan. Apologize for making us worry."

"Worried?" the brunet's face was pink, "You guys were worried about me?"

"Of course!" The twins responded in unison.

With a remorseful look, Haruhi said, "I'm sorry."

The hosts gathered around him and hugged him tightly. It was a rather emotional moment, but Mitsuru stayed rooted to her seat and finally found what she wanted to ask aloud.

"This is all very sweet and all," she folded her napkin up, "But I need to ask you something, Haruhi."

When all eyes were on her, Mitsuru pointed at Haruhi's night gown, "Are you a girl?"

-:-

She didn't get an answer to her question because the host ran out moments later, needing to vomit. On her way back to her room, Mitsuru figured that a lot of seafood plus being squeezed would make any normal person sick. After he had left, the hosts had avoided looking at the thief, and all claimed they were exhausted and needed to sleep. They didn't answer her either.

In a way, that was an answer in itself, but Mitsuru preferred hearing things from the source. She didn't want to assume anything. Maybe Haruhi was particularly into crossdressing, and had a strange condition than made him weaker than everyone else. A bit outlandish, but not entirely out of the question.

The lavender scent in the room had all but dissipated when Mitsuru returned. Her clothes had been dry cleaned, and folded neatly on top of her suitcase. The white shirt didn't have any more blood on it, and she made a mental note to thank the old woman before she left. The skirt couldn't be saved, but in all honesty, Mitsuru wouldn't have even noticed its absence, had it not been for the small note left with her shirt. She put that in her suitcase as well, noting the lovely handwriting.

She washed her face, and glared hard into the mirror. Her bottom lip was busted, with a swollen, purple mark garnishing it. She poked it, and it felt raw. Her eye was looking much worse. It was enveloped in a purple bruise, with some of her under-eye missing color. Mitsuru decided that this was not the best she's ever looked, but also not the worse.

She needed time away from her reflection, so she crawled into the bed. It felt empty with only her in it. If Aya and Teruko were there, they would all fit rather comfortably. Mitsuru twisted around, trying to take up as much space as possible, but her hands didn't even reach the edge of the bed. This whole place was too big for her. She didn't really fit.

Mitsuru was in the middle of spreading out as much as she could when she heard a clap of thunder outside, followed by the sound of a sharp knock on her door. Both of them made her jump, unprepared for the loud noise, and she hurriedly made her way to look through the peephole.

"Can I help you?" she only opened her door a smidgen, but it was enough to see Kyoya's expression.

He must've just taken a shower because he had a towel around his neck. His hair was wet, curling up at the ends as if to rebel against his wishes. His glasses were also a bit foggy, oh, and his shirt was unbuttoned. Mitsuru tried hard to keep her eyes on his face, but she hoped he didn't see her sneak a peek at his chest. It was rather toned. She decided to look past him, instead.

"Let's talk," he said, and he let himself in.

Their rooms must've not looked similar, because he glanced around hers as if it was fascinating. She wondered if he was nervous, and decided to tease him.

"This must your first time alone with a girl and a bed," she chuckled, sitting down on her comforter.

He gave her a weird look, like he had something he wanted to say, but couldn't. Mitsuru didn't like it because it definitely made her feel a little stupid. She picked at the stray fuzz on a nearby blanket.

"So, what did you want to talk about? It's late."

"Specifically, I wanted to address the fact that you recklessly tried to take on more opponents than you could handle," Kyoya glanced at his watch, "And it's only nine o' clock."

Mitsuru glared at him, "Yeah, I'm not stupid. I can handle myself."

"I don't doubt that. But it sure seemed like you threw yourself at them without any strategy or thought."

She was starting to get frustrated, so she stood up and went to her suitcase. She was still wearing her hoodie, but she figured it was safe to take it off. She put it down, and looked at her markings for a moment. The dragon seemed to be looking at her accusingly.

"I knew what I was doing," Mitsuru turned back to Kyoya, who had taken her place sitting on her bed.

"Did you?" He wanted her to admit that she was careless, but she wasn't going to fall for it.

"Yes, I did! I was in a lot of fights with the Dragons. I'm not weak or fragile. I know how to take care of myself! Now, stop pestering me about it!" Mitsuru tried not to raise her voice often, but as she yelled, light flashed outside and a boom nearly shook the room, so she felt more confident.

Kyoya didn't look taken back, "You're an idiot."

"What?!" She thought that they were at least friends, but he was ruining any chance of that.

"What would've happened if we hadn't shown up?"

Mitsuru crossed her arms, "I would've beaten them to a pulp."

"And if one of them had a weapon? A knife, for example."

"I can disarm people! I think if you're questioning my abilities so much, we should fight, and you'll see just what I can do."

Kyoya sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "You're so focused on proving you're strong that you're not seeing my point."

"Then, get to the damn point!" As if matching her anger, there was another flash of lightning outside.

The Shadow King stood up, facing her, "Mitsuru, you fight like you don't care what happens to you."

The storm outside raged on, but she was quickly simmering down. Kyoya saw her eyes, how they could've started a fire a second ago, and now were cooling back to a calm brown. He noticed how one of them was bruised and purple from the fight. Her lip had dried blood on it. If only he and the others had shown up sooner…

Mitsuru was tracing a fish on her arm, as she considered what his implications were. She didn't care about her life? That couldn't be further from the truth. She needed to live so she could do the things she needed to do. She had someone she needed to find, and she had so much debt to pay off. If she died, then her uncle would be stuck with her problems. If she died, she would never see…

The image of a photograph back in her apartment flashed through her mind, and she sighed deeply. She was only living for a few purposes, and it was starting to look like Kyoya was right. But she wasn't going to admit that. Not out loud, anyway.

"I just did something that needed to be done. If anything, you should be thanking me instead of scolding me."

Kyoya had a knowing look, as if it was clear that she was accepting defeat. Mitsuru tried ignoring him, but suddenly, she had a thought. She remembered the meal earlier, and how the hosts had been so concerned about Haruhi's safety.

In a mocking tone, she asked, not meeting Kyoya's eye, "Were you worried about me or something?"

He didn't answer for a few seconds, so she peeked up at him. He was considering her with a strangely sincere expression. It was what she imagined being scanned might feel like. It made her feel a bit vulnerable, and she couldn't help but wriggle in place. When he was finished staring, Kyoya smiled, a much different smile than the one she had seen on the beach.

"I'd appreciate it if you weren't so reckless in the future. You aren't alone anymore, Mitsuru."

Then, he left.

-:-

The limo was not as exciting on the way home. The pile of books that had served as entertainment were now a barrier, as Mitsuru huddled in a corner, still half asleep. The group of boys was less energetic now, and talked in quieter tones, as if afraid of waking those who were asleep. Kyoya and Honey were gone, deep in their slumber, and Mitsuru would be as well if she didn't have so much on her mind.

She had barely gotten any sleep last night, since she was still mulling over what Kyoya had said. _Not alone anymore_. Mitsuru felt like she had been alone for a majority of her life. Her mind skipped over her childhood, and she thought of her uncle. She thought of how she hadn't visited him in a few weeks, and how she missed living with him. While she watched the passing scenery, she daydreamed about visiting him, and talking about things that weren't important, like television and sales at the store.

Mitsuru shifted away from the window and saw Kyoya's sleeping form, leaning against Tamaki. It occurred to her that he hadn't answered her question directly, but proved to her that he was her friend. She felt a bit sheepish remembering how angry she had been when he called her an idiot. In reality, she _had_ been acting foolishly. She should've waited for them, but she was just so angry at the idea of Hisako being harassed that she acted on her own.

Realizing something else, the teen faced Haruhi, who was trying to look out the window as well, "Hey, Haruhi, you never answered my question yesterday."

"Huh?" The brunet tilted his head, "What question?"

"About you being a girl."

"Oh. Yes, I am," Haruhi replied.

Mitsuru took a moment to digest this. The other passengers seemed to awaiting her reaction, all the while looking between her and Haruhi, who looked rather unflappable.

"Huh," the thief nodded, then went back to looking outside, "I guess that makes sense."

"What's with this nonchalant response!" one of the Hitachiin brothers wailed.

His other half inquired, nervously, "You're not going to tell anyone, are you?"

Mitsuru snorted, "Of course not! Kyoya would crucify me!"

"Amazing!" Tamaki was over the moon, not being nearly as still as said Ootori would've preferred, "Haruhi, you have a new girl friend now!"

"I never said that we were friends," Mitsuru tried to protest, but no one was listening to her.

"Now you two can share clothes and braid each other's hair and have sleepovers!" Tamaki was going on and on, and everyone was ignoring him, too, especially Haruhi.

"I'm glad I can trust you, Mitsuru," she said with a soft smile that made a lot more sense now.

The teen with the chestnut hair shrugged again, trying hard not to think about all the fans this girl in disguise had, "Don't mention it. I would be in a lot of trouble if any of you told people that I was a criminal, so I suppose this is just me returning the favor."

"Thanks."

Tamaki fell silent, and the whole limousine seemed to wait for Mori to continue.

"For keeping Haruhi's secret?" Mitsuru prompted him.

"Yes," he took a long pause before adding, "And for protecting Hisako."

She thought about the redhead, who had emailed her twice about her new bathing suit, and grinned, "You're welcome."

-:-

The rest of the car ride was rather pleasant.

Haruhi was dropped off at her apartment first, and in a strangely friendly notion, she smiled at Mitsuru as she left, "See you later, Mitsuru-senpai."

She didn't have much of a response, so she waved. It was easy to forget that she had known the Host club for a number of months now, and that they knew more about her than her closest friend. Would that make them friends? The question sat heavy inside of her, and panged every time one of the hosts bid her farewell.

"Bye-bye, Mitsu-chan!" Honey was halfway out of the car when he waved at her, animated and excited.

This time, Mitsuru smiled at him, sheepishly, as though she thought she didn't deserve his attention, and she replied, "Bye-bye, Honey-senpai."

Her words must've meant something a lot bigger than she thought, because the little host leapt into her arms, and the scent of something sickly sweet hit her in the face. Mori pried him off soon after, but he had a look of surprise, as though he had expected Mitsuru to react violently. Instead, she waved at the two from the car, and watched them be received by a number of servants.

She didn't acknowledge Kyoya as she kept looking out the window, "I guess I have more friends than I originally thought."

He didn't respond for a moment, but after a few moments of the two of them watching the passing scenery, he replied, "So, you finally realized I'm right, hm?"

Mitsuru twisted to glare at him, "Yeah. Honey-senpai and Hisako are my friends. That's it."

"Only two? That is significantly better than your previous zero."

"Go to hell." She wanted to punch him, but instead, she curled into her seat and grumbled to her knees.

When she got out of the car at her stop, she was a bit underwhelmed by her apartment. In comparison to the Nekozawa mansion, it was tiny. Mitsuru tried not to show her disappointment as she watched the limo peel out of her neighborhood, like it couldn't get away from the poverty fast enough.

"I'm home," she announced to her empty room.

It looked the same as she had left it. There were some socks scattered on the floor, and when she flipped the light switch, it flickered for a few moments before steadying at a low intensity. When Mitsuru went to lie on her bed, she stopped and stared at the picture next to her bed. Gently, like it would break under her hands, she picked it up and cradled it. In the reflection of the glass, she saw her black eye.

All she really did was destroy things, and make trouble for those around her. Maybe it was best that she was alone. She could never be true friends with Hisako, or the Host Club. They were in a whole different world than her, even Haruhi. Out of the corner of her eye, Mitsuru saw the window in her apartment. She could see the fence outside, and remembered how she had tried to climb it. She could probably still do it. She could run away.

But reality pulled her back. There was no way she could escape. She had so many things hanging over her; the money she owed the Host Club, the Dragons, and the fact that she was practically trapped here no matter what she did. With that grim thought, Mitsuru put her picture frame back in its place, and rolled into her blankets. It was a rough life being a poor girl with only two friends.

" _You're not alone anymore, Mitsuru."_

Mitsuru buried her face into her pillow, hiding a smile. Maybe she could say that she had three friends. Just maybe.

* * *

 **Author's Note**

Thanks to everyone who is now following this story! **[fanfictionlover27, JustCallMeWhatever and ridellemystere]**

Also a big thank you to those who added this story (or me!) to their favorites! **[** **mhagaman0920 and ridellemystere]**

Reviewers: 

**bored411** : They haven't acted out yet, but I imagine some drama is going to pop up quick! I wonder... I imagine Tamaki will be the most upset by it all, with how sensitive he is. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and thanks for your continued support!

 **Shadow Spears** : fujioka44 does not endorse eating your nails! Hope you enjoy this chapter, though.

 **veronicatolisano** : Thank you very much! I'm glad you are enjoying the story so far.

* * *

I really love it when anyone shows their support for my stories. I am genuinely flattered by people who enjoy my work. Thank you all for reading! Also, please keep in mind that most of the time I base my writing off of the MANGA and not the ANIME. There are not many scenarios that I am using from the anime. Anyways, everyone read the manga! It's very sweet, and ends well. Enjoy this chapter!


	8. To Catch (An Animal) in a Trap

Mitsuru woke up to the sun in her eyes, and the sound of life around her. She had an open window, and at least a thousand birds sat outside of it in a high nest, begging for attention. There were people, shuffling and going about their days. She heard some laughter downstairs, and it made her wonder if someone had guests. Then, she remembered that she lived on the first floor with only two neighbors, and she abruptly sat up.

This wasn't her bed. In fact, there was a lot in the room that wasn't hers. There was a vanity, with lots of pretty perfumes on it. There was a grand couch at the foot of the bed, and it looked almost as soft as the comforter. On the opposite side of the room, Mitsuru spied her suitcase, and it all came crashing back down.

It was strange to simply grab her unpacked suitcase and prepare to leave her home once again, but Mitsuru couldn't pass up on the opportunity to make money. She may have borrowed enough from the Dragons to get by with tuition this year but she didn't know if she could afford rent for the next few months. Her budgeting needed lots of help, but she decided to tackle one issue at a time.

Mitsuru didn't have a laptop, or a phone, so she had to frequent the library to use the public computers. She checked her email at least once every day, and found some assignments and messages from teachers, some random links sent to her by Hisako, and always spam. She didn't usually bother to check the spam, but she saw a familiar name in the folder, and saw that she had received a message on July 17th from Haruhi. It was an invitation to work with the girl in disguise over summer break.

She and Haruhi planned to leave together, taking the subway and bus until they arrived in Karuizawa. Haruhi's dad's friend apparently owned a pension, where they'd do a ton of housework, like the maids they truly were. Mitsuru felt a bit perturbed that she was continuing to do the same thread of work, but money was money and she needed it.

So, now, she was here. Mitsuru hadn't done much more than dishes and cleaning rooms in her first few days, but she also found herself following Haruhi around like a duckling. Mitsuru copied everything the other girl did, as if to learn how to be a working individual, and for the most part, she was doing a great job. She had struggled once, when Misuzu, the owner, requested she wear a frilly apron, but she declined rather firmly. He was paying her a fair amount of money, but it wasn't enough for that.

Mitsuru didn't know what time it was, but she imagined that if she was late, Haruhi would have woken her up. She crawled out of the warmth of the bed, feeling a bit forlorn at the sudden lack of surround comfort, and dug into her suitcase. She pulled a hoodie on over some overall shorts and a rather plain tee then looked in the mirror.

Her black eye was completely healed, no unwanted color lingering around her amber eyes. Her lip had a bit of a scab, but besides that, it too had vanished from her face. It was strange to think that the beach had just been a little over a week ago. She hadn't talked to any of the Hosts since then, excluding Haruhi. As Mitsuru pulled her curtains aside to let in fresh air, she asked herself if she missed any of them.

And at the sight of the helicopter near the laundry, with said boys piling out of it, she decided that her answer was 'no, she didn't.'

-:-

"Wow! Are all of you cute boys Haruhi's friends?"

Misuzu was beyond pleased to see the group of handsome lads, but Mitsuru was hesistant to even come downstairs. She thought about tying up her hair, but didn't. There was no reason to try and look more put together. If anything, she ruffled her chestnut locks in hopes of appearing more carefree. When she met her eyes in the mirror, she had a feeling that it was having the opposite effect.

She sat on the bottom stair and watched the boys make themselves welcome. Haruhi was in the midst of the storm, appearing contrarily both the calmest and the angriest at the sudden arrival.

"Of course I don't make enough money to hire an employee yet. That's why when I heard that Ranka was going out of town and he was worried about Haruhi, I decided to take her in! She's such a hard worker!" Misuzu practically slapped Haruhi on the back, but she didn't look too bothered by it.

"He went on a trip, leaving his daughter behind?" sighed Hikaru, nudging his twin.

Kaoru finished his thought, shaking his head, "So Haruhi didn't have to actually come out here."

"Plus, she doesn't ask for much pay, and her friend, Mitsuru is a great help!" Misuzu waved his hadn toward the staircase, and Mitsuru felt the heat of a figurative spotlight.

" _Mitsuru_?" The majority exclaimed, looking between one another as if to affirm reality, "What are you doing here?"

Kyoya eyed her lip and lingered on it, specifically the wound. She tucked her head into her hoodie, but she was unable to fully hide.

"I needed to make money," she replied, her voice muffled, "And Haruhi told me about this summer job, so here I am."

"This is your first real job, isn't it, Mitsu-chan?" Honey cooed.

She dug into her cloth shell a bit further, "Yes. It is."

"Ah, summer job. No wonder Haruhi never replied to our invite to Bali!" The twins gave each other pitying looks and Mitsuru made her way to where they all sat.

"Me too, me too!" Honey whined, "Except my invitation was for Switzerland!"

"Hey! How come everyone is inviting Haruhi to private vacations?" Tamaki pointed accusingly at his club members, but they all avoided his stare, "As president, I was working hard to come up with a group plan!"

"And you even turned off your cell phone!" Hikaru and Kaoru were holding a device between themselves and Haruhi.

For a split second, Mitsuru panicked. It was red, just like the one that she had tried to destroy back in her apartment. She tensed in her seat, and then relaxed when she realized that Haruhi's phone had a distinctive case.

"Wait, Haruhi has a cellphone!" Tamaki gawked.

"That's right! We're lending her one of ours, but it's for friends only."

"What! I'm her father; I deserve to be on that list!"

Mitsuru looked over at Haruhi. She looked like she was losing her patience a bit, and she could understand that. The Host Club brought a whole different energy to the little pension, and the patrons around them looked entertained by the change of pace. It was nice, but this wasn't what Mitsuru was hoping would happen during her first job. She just wanted to make some money, and not have to deal with the stress of her life for a few weeks. Haruhi must've been thinking a similar thing, because she started to guide the Ouran group towards the exit.

"Alright, alright, everyone please leave! When school starts back up, we can all see each other then." She waved her arms a bit, as if shooing a dog.

"School rule number nineteen. Taking a job is not allowed."

Mitsuru and Haruhi both gave Kyoya different variations of a glare. Wasn't he the one trying to get Mitsuru to take on a legal job? And now he whips out that she would've been in trouble if she had! He was absolutely evil. He just wanted to see her fail.

"What! Hey, is that actually correct?" Mitsuru went forward to snatch the rulebook out of Kyoya's hands, but he managed to lift it above her head.

"Oh, my. Did you hear? Those two commoners took on jobs without notifying the school," Hikaru faux-whispered to his brother.

"My, my. How bold," Kaoru added with the same teasing tone.

"It'll be nice to relax in Karuizawa!" Honey was already so sure that they were staying.

The Shadow King kept his book out of Mitsuru's reach as he smiled, "That's right. Overseas trips were getting a bit dull, anyways."

"Can't you guys just go literally anywhere else?" She huffed.

"No! This is our break, too, and we're free to stay where we please! Thus, we'll stay at the pension as VIP guests!" Tamaki excitedly announced, his vigor almost infectious.

"I give up!" Mitsuru tossed her hands into the air, making her way to the kitchen, "You rich people just do whatever the hell you please."

This was going to be the worst summer vacation ever. Besides, didn't they know that there was only one vacant room? Knowing the Host Club, they would all probably fight over the chance to stay near their princess, Haruhi. Mitsuru took a moment from pouring tea to peek out at them. Kyoya looked amused, his gaze unreadable behind his glasses. Would he battle for the room? It was hard for her to tell.

He must've felt her looking at him because he turned his head in her direction and they locked eyes. Mitsuru offered him a small wave, and he pointed to the underside of his wrist. Curious, she eyed the skin there and saw nothing. She gave him an exaggerated, confused look, and he pointed again. This time, she peered at her own arm and saw that her hoodie had rolled up and a hint of the dragon's tongue was peeking out. She scrambled to pull the fabric back down and gave Kyoya a thumbs-up. When he nodded to her, she ducked back into the kitchen to grab a tray of tea.

Misuzu was debriefing the hosts when she came back. Haruhi was gone, which must've meant she was finishing up the laundry. Mitsuru placed some cups in front of a couple who didn't spare her a glance. They were engulfed in each other, and she spotted an expensive looking engagement ring. She wondered how easy it would be to take. If she spilt tea, and knelt down, maybe she could slip it off. It all depended on the ring size… She tried to shake the thoughts out of her head. The Host Club was here, now. They would murder her if they caught her stealing. She would just have to behave!

"Excuse me. I would like a cup of tea, please."

Mitsuru turned towards the voice, already with a cup in her hand, "Of course, sir…"

The young man sitting alone at the table was looking at her rather intently with eyes the color of mint. He was peering up at her from his seat, and had a rather pleasant expression. Mitsuru was trying hard not to stare, so she focused on the tea.

"Thank you," the stranger took the cup from her as she went to lower it to the table, and their fingers touched.

He was cold, as if his hands had been in a bucket of ice, and Mitsuru hurried to pull hers away without looking obvious. As if knowing her thoughts, he gave her a charming grin before sipping his tea.

He set his cup down with a satisfied sigh, "Did you make this blend? It's delicious."

"I did." She tried to be quick; there were more people who needed beverages.

Mitsuru moved on to another table and she felt the back of her neck prickle with the feeling of someone watching her. She prayed that it was one of the Hosts, but she looked over and saw that they had dispersed. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the young man still watching her. Mitsuru clamored to hide back inside the kitchen, and left the pension through a side door. Maybe she could just wait him out.

"There you are," Kyoya peered up at her from behind his glasses, "I'd like some tea with two sugars and no honey."

He was sitting on one of their patio tables, and past him were the rest of the hosts performing some random menial tasks. Tamaki was executing a rather horrendous repair job on the fence, with Honey sitting beside him doing nothing helpful at all. The twins were tugging a woman inside, letting her carry her own luggage to the door, and Mori was carrying a table. This was insanity. Haruhi stood off to the side with Misuzu, looking just as confused as Mitsuru.

"That's nice." She rebuffed his request and pointed at Tamaki, "What's going on?"

The Shadow King leaned back in his chair, "This is the first time they've worked for anyone before. For good reason, too. There's a competition to decide who will stay in the vacant room here in the pension."

"How noble." Mitsuru tugged on her sleeves, all the while watching Tamaki slam a hammer on his thumb. "You're not participating?"

"Why would I want to stay here alone? I'm staying at Honey's vacation home, since it's closer than mine."

"You want to wager on who will win?" she offered it up nonchalantly, but she was watching for his reaction.

Kyoya chuckled, as if she had said something amusing, and shook his head, "You owe me enough money, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I'm just thinking about who will win," Mitsuru shrugged.

"Who do _you_ think will be the victor?"

She took a seat on the edge of the porch, and scoped out her options, "Hmm. Mori, maybe? He's on his way to the top with his 'shirtless repairman' image."

"Exactly, but if Honey drops out, so will Mori." Kyoya nodded along with her, and they both had the appearance of sports spectators, watching the others try their best.

Mitsuru huffed, "So the runner-up will win. Oh, the twins…That's too boring. And a pain in my ass!"

"Well," the Shadow King gave her a cryptic smile, sinister yet also charming, "There's more than one way to make the game more exciting, right?"

She paused, considering the top competitors. Tamaki was nursing his swollen thumb, and the twins were back outside, doing the worst job at dusting she had ever seen. Honey sat back near Mori, eating a popsicle as his taller friend chopped wood for no apparent reason.

"Alright," Mitsuru stood up, patting down her legs, "I won't wager anything since I'm not stupid, but if I did, I would bet on Tamaki. With your guidance, I'm sure he'll win Misuzu over."

When Kyoya looked at her with a veiled expression, as if suppressing a bit of surprise, she stuck her tongue out at him as she pulled the kitchen door back open, "Or not!"

-:-

The twins ended up winning. They planned a dirty trick involving a broken window and scaring the life out of one of the clients. Despite Tamaki playing the piano and enticing at least fifty more customers, Misuzu awarded the Hitachiin brothers the vacant bedroom because of how refreshing they were. While Haruhi was tasked with taking care of the parlor, Mitsuru had to take the twins' entire luggage upstairs. They had more suitcases than she had pairs of shorts, and they were almost as heavy as the sofa she used to anchor her rope when she first robbed the Host Club.

She was sweating profusely when she made it to the top stair with the last bag. It was impossibly heavy; what could they have packed for a summer vacation? Her hand twitched, inching towards the zipper. Maybe she could just peek inside.

Mitsuru peered down the stairs at the kitchen door. Hikaru and Kaoru were inside, washing the latter's wound with a damp washcloth. If she was quick, she could see what they had packed away. She unzipped it so fast that she didn't have much time to react to the rocks falling on her feet. They rolled past her and down the stairs, and she watched them with a blank expression. When the last rock hit the tile of the parlor, she silently went and collected them all. After that, she stuffed them back in the bag and dragged it to the twins' room.

It was identical to her own, besides the family of suitcases near the closet. The bed didn't look big enough for two people, but it had two pillows, so she figured they would live. Speaking of the pillows, Mitsuru yanked them out of their cases, and began pouring the rocks inside. If they were going to mess with her, then she had no choice but to retaliate.

"Mitsu-chan!"

She didn't necessarily scream, but she definitely yelped, dropping a rock near her feet. Honey, Mori and Kyoya were in the doorway, all with varying expressions of disapproval. Unsure of what to say, Mitsuru went back to dumping the rocks into the twins' pillowcases. When she finished, she set the empty suitcase aside and turned to the boys, putting a finger to her lips.

Honey followed her thought and pretended to zip his mouth shut, "We won't tell! We came to say goodbye."

"Is it that late already?" She took a moment to behold the light coming from the window. It was taking on a hue of purple and orange, mixed together rather spectacularly in the sky. _I can't believe it took me so long to unpack all of their crap_ , Mitsuru regarded the suitcases once again with a bit of disdain.

"It is, but we'll back in the morning. Hopefully we'll receive better service then." Kyoya said, with only several sprinklings of underlined scorn.

Mitsuru shrugged, " _Hopefully_."

She knelt down in front of Honey, resisting the urge to ruffle his hair, and settled on patting his stuffed rabbit on its head, "Bye-bye."

The senior seemed taken back for a moment before he smiled and operated Usa-chan to wave good-bye, "Bye-bye, Mitsu-chan! See you tomorrow!"

"I can at least walk you to the door," she offered. She wanted to make sure Honey made it to his car safely, and the feeling of protectiveness washed over her, almost scaring her.

Despite her alarm, she still escorted them to the entrance. Tamaki met them there, looking a bit put off at not being allowed to stay. He must've been saying good-bye to Haruhi, because the brunette passed them on her way back to her room. She looked tired, and Mitsuru attributed some of that to the King of the Host Club.

The parlor looked pitifully hollow with no one sitting at the tables. If she hadn't seen it earlier when it was filled with people, she might've thought it was haunted. But, in a matter of hours, there would be smiling faces sitting, drinking, and eating. While she waved halfheartedly at the limo pulling away, Mitsuru wondered if the guy who had stared at her would return. He had been quite handsome, and it seemed like he wanted to talk to her more, but she wasn't entirely sure how she felt about it.

Mitsuru went to her room and lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling. It was strange to be the center of someone's attention, even for a little bit. It was dangerous to get involved with anyone these days. He could be some creep, or maybe a serial killer! She just might fit his profile, and he'll come back in the morning and try to corner her. He'd pull out a knife and then... She rolled onto her side. She was overthinking this. He was just a guy who maybe thought she looked funny. It's not even likely that he would return! With that final thought, she drifted off to a restless sleep.

-:-

"Good morning."

He had come back. In fact, he sat at the same table he was at yesterday. He was wearing a different sweater, but besides that, it was the exact scenario. She had begged Misuzu to take the table, but he was busy teaching Tamaki everything there was to know about the pension. Apparently, the blond had shown up at six in the morning and was bored. _He is kind of like a sponge in how he absorbs new things_ , was Mitsuru's thought before she realized that she had to confront this young man again.

She poured the tea into the gentleman's cup, attempting to keep a modest distance between the two of them. She didn't know whether or not to ignore that he had spoken to her, so she nodded.

"So, how long have you worked here?" He asked, bringing the tea cup to his lips.

Mitsuru scanned the parlor for anyone else who might need her, "Um. Two weeks."

"That's not very long."

"It's not."

He was a human shield! All of her words were bouncing off of him, and he kept smiling at her like she was being civil instead of trying to run away.

He put his cup back down on its respective plate, "This must be a summer job for you, right? Or are you from here?"

"Not really." Which question was she answering?

"Are you in school?"

"I guess I am." That wasn't something you could guess at!

"What school do you go to?"

"A private academy." Very specific.

"What's your name?"

"Uh…" Mitsuru was sweating bullets.

She didn't even have any other chores to do! It was all she could to just stand there like a deer caught in the headlights. She kept glancing at the door to see if someone would walk in, but it was like there was sign outside that read, "No one come in. Awkward conversation in progress." She twisted the napkins that hung out of the pockets of her overalls.

The young man leaned forward to put himself in her sight, and she couldn't help but look straight into his eyes. They were absolutely stunning.

"Did you forget your name?" He prodded.

"Ahaha, no," she faked a grin, "It's Haruhi."

The smile on his face didn't fade or grow. He sipped again at his tea, staring at her.

"I wanted to ask yesterday, but you were busy."

"Oh," she thought back to how he stared at her, and she came to the realization that perhaps he was trying to hit on her. She couldn't even comprehend it. Why would he want to flirt with her?

"Yeah," Mitsuru added, recognizing that he was awaiting a response, "We were pretty slammed."

There was a moment when he didn't say anything, and Mitsuru started to walk away.

"I'm Shiro, by the way." He said, suddenly.

"That's nice." _I didn't ask!_

"Are you busy right now?" He was almost turned around in his seat, following her with his beautiful eyes.

"Yeah. I am." Even before it came out of her mouth, she knew it was not convincing.

"You are?" He peered around the parlor, rather knowingly.

There was only two other tables occupied, and one of those was Haruhi with some of the hosts and a boy she didn't recognize. It was too early for many people to be here. Mitsuru decided that she was not being the best liar. It usually came so naturally to her, but she was struggling to think of anything clever.

"I'm," she paused, and then sighed, the first genuine sound she'd made in Shiro's presence, "I'm just confused. What do you want?"

His green eyes were wide for a moment before he hid his mouth behind the sleeve of his sweater, as if he was embarrassed. The red on his ears, though, was still visible. The door opened, and Mitsuru could hear the bell ringing, but didn't move. She wanted to hear what he was going to say.

"I'd like to keep coming here and talking to you, if that's okay." Shiro said, and he stood up suddenly, revealing that he was several inches taller than her. She didn't even quite reach his chin. His eyes were overwhelming all of her vision, but she couldn't look away.

"Um, sure." Is the intelligent response she provided.

It was an odd note to leave on, but he left some cash on the table and walked out, brushing past Kyoya, Mori, and Honey. They all seemed to stop and watch him until even his shadow was gone. Mitsuru looked down at the table he was sitting at and saw that he had given her a hefty tip, which she pocketed without a second thought. _That guy is so weird_ , she thought.

"Did you know that guy, Mitsu-chan?" Honey approached, looking well-rested.

She shook her head, "Nope. He came in yesterday."

"Odd. It seems like he knew you very well."

Mori, Honey and Mitsuru all took a moment to look at Kyoya. He appeared stoic with his arms crossed, but Mitsuru couldn't read his expression.

"I think he was hitting on me," she said blandly.

"You _think_?" Kyoya was giving her a look that made her feel stupid, so she rolled her eyes to avoid his.

She shrugged and pulled the money out of her overalls so she could pretend to count it, "Yeah. I think. Anyways, you guys are kind of late. Everyone is set up over there."

Honey and Mori joined the twins at a table, but Kyoya lagged behind.

"Did you give him your name?" He inquired, lowering his voice.

Mitsuru smirked, "No. I told him the wrong name. Aren't I clever?"

When he didn't say anything, she started to get frustrated. His expression was out of reach, and she couldn't understand why he was acting like she had done something wrong.

"What's wrong with you? I'm not stupid! I didn't give him any personal details, and besides that, it's none of your business if I do," She jabbed a finger at his chest.

Kyoya pushed it away, noncommittally, "No, you're right. Apologies."

Her jaw might as well have touched the floor as she watched him join the others. _Since when does he admit that I'm right?_ Mitsuru tried to feel proud of her victory, but she couldn't make it genuine. It felt strange to be right for once, and she wasn't sure that she deserved it. In a way, she may have put Haruhi in danger by using her name. Maybe she should warn her? The brunette looked like she was having fun talking with the delivery boy. She couldn't interrupt that! Mitsuru would just have to keep it a secret and tell Shiro the truth when he came back tomorrow.

-:-

"Mitsuru-chan," Misuzu was stirring something that smelled divine, "Could you help me with the air vents?"

The girl with the chestnut hair stopped scrubbing the dish in her hands, using the back of her glove to wipe her forehead, "What's wrong with them?"

"There's something wrong with the filtration system, and some of the rooms smell funny. Would you please climb in and make sure there's nothing blocking them?"

"Yeah, I can do that."

Is what she originally said, but as she stood in the parlor looking up at the vent, she was made aware of the fact that she was not even close to tall enough to unscrew it and crawl inside. From below, the vent appeared a lot smaller than Mitsuru, which was a concern. She didn't want to get stuck inside… Maybe she could ask Honey to go? No, he was afraid of tight spaces.

She would just have to do this herself. It wasn't anyone else's job! Mitsuru pulled a chair from a vacant table and used it to stand on. Even on the tips of her toes, she couldn't reach the screws. She tried extending the screw driver, but without a sense of where anything was, she just ended up banging the vent with it. Mitsuru stepped down from the chair. She wasn't getting anywhere by herself.

The hosts were bidding farewell to Haruhi's old friend when she stepped outside. One of the twins was missing, and Mitsuru was decently sure that the one standing in front of her was Kaoru. He had a cut on his cheek, from the window that he broke with his brother yesterday to win the competition. Everyone was regarding him with strange expressions except for Haruhi.

"A date?" the brunette didn't look enthused, "I guess so. I need to tell Misuzu."

Kaoru smiled at her, "Thanks, Haruhi! I'm going to go talk with Hikaru."

"Hi, Mitsuru," he passed her on the way back inside, surprisingly friendly without his twin.

She waved at him, confused. When the door shut behind him, she faced the hosts. Mori was the most ideal for this task since he was the tallest, so she approached him.

"Mori-senpai, would you please help me with something? I need to stand on your shoulders so that I can reach the air vent."

The senior considered her for a moment before silently nodding. The group seeped back into the parlor, and Mori guided Mitsuru on his shoulders. It was a little embarrassing to admit but she admired how strong and firm he was under her weight.

"Tell me if I'm too heavy, okay?" She said before he lifted her up.

She was face-to-face with the vent, now, and went about hurriedly unscrewing the bolts. They made distant sounds as they hit the ground below and as the last one fell, Mitsuru yanked off the metal grate. The vent was smaller than she wanted it to be. It would be a tight fit, but she could probably make it.

"Here," she lowered the grate to Mori's awaiting hands, "I'm going to crawl in now."

She was able to pull herself in after she got her torso inside the cramped vent. When she finally wriggled her hips enough to fit, Mitsuru realized just what she had done. She was completely trapped! She took a deep breath, but the air felt so thick that she felt lightheaded.

"Everything okay in there?" a voice called. It sounded like Haruhi.

Mitsuru tried to disregard how dark it was as well, "Um, yup! I'm fine; don't worry about it!"

After crawling a few feet, her movements making the sounds of metal bending beneath her, she had to stop again. 'Crawling' was a generous term. It was more as though she were a worm, wiggling and pulling herself forward. She didn't have enough room for her elbows, and her back kept hitting the top of the vent. Her heart might as well have been hitting the metal beneath her. It was loud and practically beating right out of her chest. Her stomach was also heavier than anything she'd ever tried to steal. Mitsuru pushed that all to the back of her mind. Maybe if she didn't think about it, she wouldn't freak out.

She must've been squirming her way through the vents for roughly five seconds when she was overwhelmed with a single thought; _I want to get out_.

"U-uh!" Mitsuru was talking to the area beneath her, hoping someone was there, "Am I close to a room or something?"

"You're not out of the parlor, yet. Is something wrong?" It was Kyoya, no doubt. His voice was rather distinct. Mitsuru didn't think more about that, aware and scared of the implications.

"Nope!"

He must've known that her response was too quick, too, because Mitsuru heard some muffled movement beneath her.

"Misuzu-san says there are two places where the air filtration system may be blocked. One is upstairs near the bedrooms and the other is near the kitchen."

She took a breath, still finding it too dense, "Okay. So, am I near the bedrooms? Which way do I go?"

"Right now you go straight. You'll reach a fork, and when you do, go left. There may be a place for you to stand, and continue upstairs."

He sounded like he was reading off directions from a pamphlet, but Mitsuru didn't question it. She writhed her way to the fork in the vents, smelling the cooking wafting in from the right. From the left, she could smell something akin to mildew, so she twisted to follow it. Just as Kyoya said, there was a strange incline. She could stand, if only for this single moment, but her legs got stuck at a weird angle and without thinking, she screamed.

Kyoya called out, "Mitsuru? What happened?"

"UM! I saw a…" She thought about what could be up here with her, and picked one, "Big moth! And it scared me."

"Sure. You're almost to the bedrooms." He didn't sound convinced, but wasn't going to bring it up as they spoke through the vent.

True to his instruction, after the incline, Mitsuru wiggled upon another vent. There was a towel sticking out of it, and it smelled like no one had washed it in a month. She wondered if the twins had perhaps tried getting their revenge this way, but for it to smell so bad, the towel must have been there for a few days _at least_. At the sight of an exit, she was too overjoyed to think about it much longer. Then, she remembered that the screws were on the outside.

"Kyoya! Please, unscrew this!" She yelled, her tone portraying how desperate she was.

Luckily, the screwdriver was small enough to fit through the metal grates. The vent was either close to the ground or Kyoya was standing on a chair, because he unscrewed the bolts without anyone's help. When the cover was yanked off, Mitsuru did the first thing she thought of, which was falling right out of the damn thing. Kyoya tried catching her, but he was standing on a chair and they both crashed on the ground with Mitsuru practically sitting on him. She quickly rolled off of him, and couldn't help but gasp for breath. It felt like she had just been in a coffin, suffocating slowly. She didn't even realize it, but her eyes were watering just from pure panic. Kyoya had his glasses in his hands, the impact knocking them off, but he didn't need them to see just how scared she looked.

"Are you alright?" He sat up to be beside her, but she kept panting, as if she hadn't breathed that entire time.

"I-I'm not going back in there! That towel was the source; the kitchen is fine and I'm not going back in!" She spat all of her words out like they couldn't stay in her mouth.

Kyoya put his glasses back on, and put a hand on Mitsuru's back, something he thought would be comforting, "Why did you offer to do it if you are claustrophobic?"

"This is my first job. I didn't want to screw anything up and disappoint everyone."

It was the most sincere thing she had ever said (to her knowledge!), and when her mind finally returned to her body, she noticed that Kyoya was wide-eyed, and his hand was on the small of her back. It wasn't as physically close as their dance at the Christmas Party, but it felt a thousand times more intimate.

"Ugh, that sucked," she grumbled, standing slowly.

Kyoya sighed, either put off by her attitude or her aversion to what was happening (which must have been nothing), "It did."

"I'll screw back all the bolts in the vents." Mitsuru took the screwdriver back, and watched Kyoya until he was in the doorway, "And uh, thanks for the help."

He looked back at her, his eyes hidden behind his glasses, "You're welcome."

-:-

Mitsuru presented the towel to Misuzu, who recognized it as something a guest from a few weeks ago had brought with them. He hypothesized that maybe they were hanging it to dry and forgot, or it had been stuck on accident. Regardless, the scent had dissipated by the next morning, and Mitsuru was once again confronted by Shiro. He sat at a different table today, and when she sent Misuzu in her stead, the crossdressing man came back to her emptyhanded.

"That boy asked for you by name," he explained.

The gears in her brain turned so rapidly and harshly that they might as well have made an audible noise. _I didn't give him my name_. Hesitantly, Mitsuru went to Shiro's table. When she approached, he looked up from his menu and smiled.

"Good morning."

She crossed her arms, "How did you know my name?"

Shiro took a moment to simply gaze at her, before replying, "I heard someone call you that during my first visit."

Mitsuru rolled her eyes and then, deciding that there wasn't much else she could do to derail him, she sat in the seat across from him. His mint green eyes were wide, and his mouth was agape.

"So, Shiro. I'm Mitsuru. Why do you keep trying to talk to me?"

"Ryota."

She raised a brow, "What?"

"I lied to you, too. My name is actually Kobayashi Ryota." His gaze was calculating, as if awaiting her reaction to his announcement, but Mitsuru simply shrugged.

"Cool? Now we've both played each other. Are you going to answer my question or not?"

Ryota's smile was distorted, like there was something he wanted to say sitting in his mouth. Instead of speaking his mind, he pointed to the menu, "What do you recommend? I'm feeling pretty hungry!"

"Don't ignore me." Mitsuru went to tug the pamphlet out of his hands, but he pushed it out of her reach and leaned forward, putting them both rather snugly in the center of the table.

Ryota lowered his voice, "Mitsuru, listen, you need to-"

" _Mitsuru_!"

She stood up so quickly that the table jolted, and both she and Ryota whipped her heads in Kaoru's direction. He had a strange assortment of clothes and accessories hanging on his arms, and he was regarding Ryota with a wary stare.

"Uh, yeah?" Mitsuru made her way to the Hitachiin, fighting the urge to glance back at the table.

Kaoru shoved the effects he had been carrying into her arms, "We're all going out. Put these on and meet us outside!"

"But I'm working!" She didn't bother to dig through what she was given. They all smelled like a department store.

"I already asked Misuzu if you could come, and he said yes! Just go change."

There was little to no room for discussion. Mitsuru started to go back to her room, but when she knew that Kaoru had exited the parlor, she peeked at Ryota. He was staring deep into his menu with a blank expression, and hadn't ordered anything when he got up and left. She wondered if he was discouraged that he hadn't said his piece.

Mitsuru shut the door to her room behind her before sorting through the things Kaoru handed her. It was as if a tourist shop had vomited onto her bed. There was a dress with too much flamingo-patterned fabric and puffy sleeves. It had an accompanying floppy sunhat, and there was a pair of bug-eyed sunglasses. Why in the world would they want her to wear this? Mitsuru glared at her reflection, but she couldn't see her own expression behind all of the get-up. She looked like someone's mom who was visiting Karuizawa for the summer!

When she got outside, she realized that everyone was dressed strangely. It was like they were all wearing costumes!

"Why am I wearing this?" was her first question.

"Who was that guy?" was Kaoru's.

Mitsuru rolled her eyes, "Just a guy! Anyways-"

"Not _anyways_! He was asking you on a date, wasn't he, Mitsuru?" Kaoru looked like a cat, his face curling up with a satisfying smile.

"Mitsu-chan is going on a date?" Honey echoed.

"Ugh, no, I'm not and no he didn't!" She wanted to be angry, but she saw what her senpai was wearing and it melted away to confusion, "Why are you wearing a dress, Honey-senpai? Actually, now that I think about it, why are we all dressed so strangely?"

"Yeah, what's this for?" Tamaki was underdressed, looking more like a construction worker than the aristocrat he was. Mitsuru noticed that he was wearing glasses with the lenses popped out.

"We're going to tail Hikaru and Haruhi on their date, obviously. Can't you tell, stupid?" He pointed at Honey, Kyoya, and Mitsuru, "They're a family of tourists. You and Mori are laborers, and I'm an innocent, local boy!"

Mitsuru eyed Kyoya's get-up. His hair was slicked back, and his glasses were replaced with dark shades. He was also wearing a horrendous Hawaiian shirt, and she snorted at its pattern. The Shadow King looked relatively harmless.

"Oh, so Mitsu-chan is my mama!" Honey-senpai embraced his role, grabbing Mitsuru's hand without a second thought. Her face heated up, but she couldn't help but squeeze his hand in return.

She tugged her sunhat a bit further down to hide her pleased expression, "Y-yeah, I guess so."

"And that makes her my wife?" Kyoya's tone was more inquisitive than it was suggestive, but Mitsuru still kept her face tucked away.

Kaoru nodded rapidly, taking pleasure in how embarrassed the sole female seemed, "That's right!"

Tamaki, surprisingly not interested in playing with disguises, grabbed him by the extra fabric of his jersey, "I'm not asking about our clothes! I'm asking why Haruhi has to go on a date with Hikaru! Why does this have to take place after what happened yesterday?!"

"Hikaru and Haruhi had a fight yesterday," Honey whispered to Mitsuru. Thank God someone kept her up to date on all the drama.

She hummed, "Then this is Haruhi's first date?"

This must've not been the right thing to say because Tamaki went further into a depression, and he pointed in a far off direction, "It's not fair!"

Mitsuru followed his finger and saw Haruhi and Hikaru in the distance. They must've left only a few minutes ago because they weren't that far away. The brunette cleaned up nicely, and must've been wearing a wig because her hair was in pigtails. Someone (Kaoru, no doubt) must've helped her get ready. Haruhi didn't seem the type to dress up like that willingly.

When she and Haruhi met eyes, Honey tugged Mitsuru off to the side with everyone else. She had almost forgotten that she wasn't supposed to be seen! Not like the brunette would recognize her in this disguise.

"Milord, listen, I think…" Kaoru sat up from his dive out of sight, with an oddly serious expression, "I think it's important for Hikaru to find more people that matter to him. For a long time, we only cared about each other. We're extremely codependent, and we tend to shut others out. We've never cared about what other people say, or how they feel, and that's how we became what we are today."

He looked out from his hiding spot to see his brother, "Hikaru is especially immature. He acts out his feelings without restraint or consideration for others. I don't think he is even conscious of it, but he really cares for Haruhi. But all he knows is how to throw his feelings at others so he ends up acting like a possessive kid. If he wants to be a real friend, he has to respect the feelings of others as well. So I think Hikaru has to learn to the basics of personal interaction."

"Kaoru," Tamaki had an expression of amazement, which morphed quickly into pride as he pat his friend on the head, "You're so mature. When did you grow up to be such a good kid?"

"So, in other words, this date is meant to be a trial for Hikaru to learn compassion." Kyoya was perfect for killing moments, Mitsuru realized.

"That's right! That's why; I don't want any of you to interfere. If you do, you're dead!" Kaoru announced, and once again, they all ducked in fear of Haruhi and Hikaru's gaze finding them.

"If that's the case, why are we following them at all?" Mitsuru, despite nearly falling down, didn't release Honey's hand.

The twin shrugged before pulling out a pair of binoculars, "It's more fun this way!"

-:-

It was rather uneventful. Haruhi and Hikaru were about as compatible as cotton candy and a rock. Or at least, that's what Mitsuru thought at first. They sat on a bench and tried to make a plan, but ended up watching the clouds for fifteen minutes in relative silence. Tamaki wanted to wring Hikaru's neck for being a "bad date." They eventually moved on to ice cream, thanks to Honey's improvised and not-well-thought-out plan, and things were moving along smoothly. For them, at least! Mitsuru felt like she was melting in the sun, and they had to stop and eat ice cream from the stand the couple had just left.

From behind her ice cream cone, Mitsuru watched Hikaru and Haruhi move on until they were out of sight. She went to stand, to go and follow, but Kyoya grabbed her wrist, nearly scaring her to death when she realized it was not Honey.

"We're taking a short break," he stated, leaving no room for discussion, "Since you don't look so well."

"I'm fine! This dress is just so hot," she whined, taking her place back at the table.

Honey smiled, his face covered in a layer of vanilla, "But you look so pretty, Mitsu-chan!"

"Liar!" She pretended to twist his cheeks, careful of the sticky ice cream.

When he scurried to Mori's side for defense, she couldn't help but grin. It was nice to act like they were family. It made her miss…

"Do you have any siblings?"

Mitsuru let her sunhat flop onto the table, and she ruffled her hair, "Why do you ask?"

"You seem to favor Honey out of everyone here. I hypothesized it's because you have a younger sibling. Or is it perhaps because you're more of a Lolita fan?" Kyoya smirked.

"I'm not!" She snapped back, quick and annoyed, "He's just a nice kid."

"He's older than you, you know."

"Yeah, duh."

Mitsuru peered into her ice cream, admiring the swirl as she pondered. Kyoya was her friend, right? She wouldn't say it to his face, but he was one of her friends, now, just like Honey was. But did she trust him? He knew about her tattoos. She trusted him with her history with the Dragons. She thought about the Christmas Party. She had trusted him not to drop her. Earlier, she trusted him with her fear of tight spaces. Could she..?

"Actually, Kyoya, I-" She turned to look at him, but her eyes found something just over his shoulder.

It was Ryota. He was turned, talking to another young man who wasn't nearly as tall. He wasn't wearing a sweater, which made sense since it was so hot outside. His shoulders were quite muscular and Mitsuru didn't think was bad. He ran a hand through his hair, but it still flopped over. Whoever he was talking to was making him think rather hard, because he rubbed his temples, as if trying to recall something. Then, he put a hand up to his neck, as if indicating someone else's height or pretending to slice his neck. That's when Mitsuru saw the rather beautifully done dragon sprawled against his right arm.

Later, she saw on the news that it had been a record hot day for Karuizawa that year, but in that moment, Mitsuru felt frozen solid. The hair on her arms stood up on end, and she had goosebumps. Kyoya leaned forward to try and catch her eye, as he was still waiting for her to speak, but Mitsuru stood up quick. The hosts gave her inquisitive looks, and when her eyes met Honey's, she panicked.

"I-… I gotta go!" She announced, and she started to walk as quickly as she could in the opposite direction.

Even in disguise, she didn't want to risk Ryota seeing her. She glanced at him, and saw that he was still engrossed in his conversation with what she assumed was another member of the Dragons. He had been describing someone, there was no doubt. What if he was describing her? What if he was looking for her? Mitsuru had to stop in an alley, grasping and grabbing at the brick walls surrounding her as she tried to find air.

He told her that his name was Shiro. Maybe he thought she was going to recognize him. Maybe they'd met before, and she'd simply washed away his face with her old life. It was too late, though. The Dragons were caving in on her from all directions. This was just like the air vent. She was trapped. Her breath got caught, and she thought for a moment that she would just die, choking on nothing, but she looked up and saw someone's shoes in front of her.

"Kyoya!" She leapt forward, grabbing his ridiculous shirt. The force knocked his sunglasses down a bit, revealing that his eyes were wide, "T-that guy! He… the one who Kaoru thought-! He's… the Dragons! He's a member of the Dragons! He was-!"

Kyoya had his hands on her shoulders, but she didn't register it.

"You're hyperventilating, Mitsuru. Just breath," he advised, and after a moment, continued, "I saw the tattoo as well."

"What am I going to do? H-he might tell Tatsuya! He could... They could find me somehow! What if he comes back tomorrow? He'll… somehow they'll take me back!" Mitsuru felt heavy, like something was sitting on her chest and preventing her from breathing, but it didn't stop her from laughing, coughing out maniacal laughter as she tugged on Kyoya shirt, "They're going to kidnap me and take me back to that god-awful place."

The Ootori frowned, and for once, she could read his expression rather well. He was calculating, thinking and creating something in his mind.

"Are the Dragons the type to pull off a stunt like that in a crowded pension?" His tone suggested that they both already knew the answer.

Mitsuru shook her head, finding the design on Kyoya's shirt less and less hideous the more she stared at it. If she focused on it, and the little flowers and flamingos, she could ignore that her nightmares had almost become reality.

"And they won't be able to do much when the Ootori police force has body guards at the pension, will they?"

On any other occasion, she would've pointed out that he was treating her a bit like a child, but she was appreciating it now. So, someone was going to protect her? The thought made her bury her face in the nose of a flamingo on his shirt. She'd never see it, but Kyoya had his hand hovering above her head, considering petting her gently. Hesitantly, he decided against it.

"No, they won't." She mumbled.

"You don't have any reason to be afraid. The Dragons aren't going to succeed if they try anything."

They stood like that until Mitsuru couldn't feel her heartbeat in every limb. When she felt the ground beneath her, and the air wasn't thicker than jello, she let go of Kyoya's shirt. There was a wet stop from tears she didn't know she had been shedding. Her eyes were probably red, swollen with fear, and she tried to wipe it all away. She didn't have to be afraid of the Dragons. They couldn't do anything to her now.

Kyoya was facing the street, now, watching the people pass by. She thought she saw Hikaru and Haruhi, but she wasn't sure.

"I'm sorry for freaking out," she pulled her sunglasses back on, hoping to hide the evidence.

Kyoya didn't look back at her, "It's a completely reasonable fear."

"What? To be afraid of Dragons?" Her snark made him turn and grin.

"No. To be afraid of being trapped."

Mitsuru closed her mouth rapidly, her teeth hurting from the impact. Kyoya knew her a lot better than she thought.

"We should go back to the others before Tamaki has a seizure."

"Before we do, I wanted to tell you," Mitsuru took a deep breath. She trusted Kyoya. She trusted him to protect her from the Dragons. From Ryota. From _Tatsuya_.

"I do have a sibling. I have a little sister."

She unwound a bit at the announcement. It felt so strange to admit that to someone, to say it out loud. It was an odd relief to spill a secret. Now it wasn't just her burden to bear.

"I thought you didn't have any family." Kyoya crossed his arms, his gears turning.

"I don't anymore. I never knew who my parents are. My little sister, she… She and I were raised in an orphanage. She was adopted before I was, and… I've been looking for her ever since."

"She's the reason I started stealing." Mitsuru was taken back by her own insight. Was her little sister seriously the reason that she had become a criminal? When she saw that Kyoya was waiting for more, she continued. "It started with the thought that if I could find where she lived, we would be together again. But then I saw a mansion for the first time, and I… I couldn't see inside, so I broke in. I looked through their family pictures, and when I saw that she wasn't there, I took whatever valuables I saw and moved on."

"Then, two years ago, I was on my way home, and I passed by Ouran. I looked past all the gates, and I saw her. I saw my little sister."

Kyoya connected the dots in his head, and finished her thought, "That's why you're so desperate to stay here. So that you can reunite with her."

She nodded, picking at the end of her sleeve, "I still haven't found her, but I know that she's in Ouran, somewhere. The place is so big, and I'm not even really sure what grade she's in, but…"

Mitsuru smiled, a big and hopeful grin on her face, "But I know I'm going to find her, and I'll tell her how much I've missed her."

Kyoya leaned down and pressed her sunglasses back up her nose in a motion that was both elegant and relaxed. With the dark tint on the world, she couldn't see how Kyoya was a bit pink. She wriggled her nose so that they fell back down to a comfortable position.

"That's rather admirable of you. I can hardly believe your goals are so virtuous, especially since you're a thief." His smile was oddly refreshing, intending to be playfully mocking.

Mitsuru pretended to punch his arm, "You're such a charmer."

The alley felt a lot smaller than it had earlier, but she didn't feel confined. If anything, she felt comfortable and _safe_. She felt safe when they rejoined the others and safe even when it began to storm. She went to bed, knowing that perhaps the Dragons were outside her door, Mitsuru felt safe. She had a dream that there were two little hands reaching for her from beyond the gates of Ouran. As their fingertips met, she woke up with tears running down her cheeks and pooling in her ears, but a hopeful smile still on her face.

* * *

 **Author's Note**

Thanks to everyone who is now following this story! **[Manga-fan-98-kyo, SnowLilyAngel and Marthalomew]**

Also a big thank you to to those who added this story (or me!) to their favorites! **[Manga-fan-98-kyo, brokenwings1995 and Marthalomew]**

Reviewers:

 **bored411** : Oh no! Lobelia and Mitsuru interacting? I feel like they wouldn't appreciate her foul mouth... Here's the next chapter! I hope you enjoy! Thanks for reviewing!

 **veronicatolisano** : Thank you! Haha, it's a very slow burn so I don't think a kiss will happen in the next chapter, but... maybe the one after that? ;) Thanks for the review!

 **Shadow Spears** : Here's the next chapter! Please keep your nails safe

* * *

I really love it when people show their support for my stories. I am genuinely flattered by people who enjoy my work. Thank you all for reading! Also, please keep in mind that most of the time I base my writing off of the MANGA and not the ANIME. There are not many (if any?) scenes that I'm pulling from the anime. Anyways, enjoy this chapter!


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